The Federal Government has put in motion plans to conduct a National Population Census between March and April 2023, which comes 17 years after the last head count.
The Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa-Kwarra, made this known yesterday at the end of a virtual meeting of the Council of State, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the last population and housing census in the country took place in 2006.
The total population in Nigeria was estimated at 206.14 million people in 2020, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics.
Isa-Kwarra said the National Census will be held after the general election, slated for February and March 2023, adding that the Commission would deploy high technology in the conduct of the exercise.
He said: “The National Population Commission is to conduct a Pilot Census in June this year, after the political parties’ primary elections.
“It is very crucial to hold a census because it is a very important exercise for the nation. This is because through census we generate the data that we use for policy making, for planning, for development, by the three tiers of government, and the private sector, they all need this.
“If you are a private sector, you’re producing something; certainly, you need to know the population of an area if you want to create a market there.
“So, census data is very crucial, very important, because, the data we’ve been using are just projections, estimation. And are sort of obsolete, we need the actual census data to use for our planning.”
It is very crucial to hold a census because it is a very important exercise for the nation. This is because through census we generate the data that we use for policy making, for planning, for development, by the three tiers of government, and the private sector, they all need this.
Combating insecurity
Also, Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, who briefed journalists on the outcome of the Council of State meeting, disclosed that President Buhari would meet security chiefs on Tuesday next week, over the current security situation in Nigeria.
He said the meeting followed recommendations and comments by the Council of State, demanding that necessary measures be taken to ensure that farmers carry out their activities without any hindrance to boost food production across the country.
NAN reports that the 2006 census placed Lagos State in the South as the second most populous state with 9.0 million people, while overall; the North had a higher population than the South.
The northern states account for 75 million people, while the southern states have 65 million.
