The Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja revealed plans to hold the national population census in April 2023.
This is the first time such exercise will be holding in 17 years.
The PUNCH reports that the Federal Government had planned to conduct the exercise in 2021 but it was later put off largely due to insecurity in parts of the country.
The last time Nigeria conducted the exercise was in 2006.
That exercise put the country’s population at 140.43 million – 71.3 million males and 69.0 million females.
The Director-General of Nigeria Population Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, disclosed the plan to conduct census in 2023 to State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of the Council of State presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
While noting that the NPC would hold a pilot census in June (this year) after the political primaries, Isa-Kwarra noted that the commission would deploy high-grade technology during the exercise.
He lamented that the country’s current data are obsolete projections, saying that the census would provide more accurate data for national planning.
“It is very crucial because I have highlighted that the census is a very important exercise for the nation. Through census, we generate the data that we use for policy-making, planning, development; the three tiers of government and the private sector all need these.
“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. The data we’ve been using are just projections and estimation and are obsolete; we need the actual census data for our planning.”
The PUNCH had earlier reported that the Census would gulp over N400bn.
Also, briefing correspondents was the Minister of Special Duties, George Akume, who noted that the council approved the conferment of National Honours Award on 434 Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in the various fields of endeavour.
The Council of State is an organ of the Federal Government responsible for advising the executive on policy matters.
Members include the President, past presidents, the Vice President, the Senate President, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and both serving and past Chief Justices of Nigeria.
Others include the Attorney General of the Federation, all State Governors, and the Minister of Federal Capital Territory.
Former heads of state physically in attendance were Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.), and Goodluck Jonathan.
Others attended the meeting virtually from their various locations.
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