Nigeria, April 23 -- Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Abubakar Bagudu has said the newly formed Presidential Committee on Population and Housing Census is a technical advisory body focused on identifying funding sources and practical timelines for the country's next census.

This is according to a press statement posted on the ministry's X account on Tuesday, in apparent response to criticism of the composition of the committee.

Speaking at the committee's inaugural meeting in Abuja, the minister, who chairs the committee, stressed that the group is distinct from the National Population Commission (NPC), which remains the statutory body for organising and conducting censuses.

"Our responsibility is to assess what exists, advise ...