According to the National Population Commission (NPC), Nigeria’s population growth rate has reached 3.2 percent based on an estimated population of 216 million. Mr. Ejike Eze, the NPC Federal commissioner representing Enugu State, shared this information during a lecture organized by the Commission and the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus.
He highlighted that Nigeria is one of the fastest-growing populations in the world and emphasized the importance of conducting regular censuses for effective planning of development programs.
Mr. Ejike Eze also pointed out that Nigeria’s failure to conduct a population census in the past 17 years has created an information gap. The data from the last census conducted in 2006 has become less useful for planning purposes.
He mentioned that preparations for the 2023 national census are at an advanced stage, including the demarcation of the existing 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
Eze emphasized the importance of implementing poverty alleviation programs based on accurate and current data obtained from the 2023 census. This will enhance the effectiveness of these programs in targeting vulnerable populations and ensuring that no one is left behind.
Regarding religion and ethnicity, the commissioner stated that the commission has deliberately decided to exclude questions on these topics from the census questionnaire due to their sensitive nature.
Furthermore, Mr. Ejike Eze emphasized that excluding questions on religion and ethnicity from the census questionnaire was aimed at preventing unnecessary controversies and attention. The primary objective of the questionnaire is to generate data that would facilitate sustainable development planning.
Prof. Dan Nwachukwu, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus, commended the collaboration between the NPC and IDS, describing it as timely and appropriate. He emphasized that without an accurate and reliable census, the execution of planned programs in the country would be challenging. The lack of data has been a hindrance to the effective implementation of government policies.
Prof. Chuks Nwude, the Director of IDS UNN, stated that the topic of the lecture, “Methodology and Processes of the Population and Housing Census,” was timely. He highlighted that the collaboration between the NPC and IDS would contribute to advancing knowledge and understanding of the forthcoming census.