Balarabe Oshiafi, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has harped on the need to deploy digital technology in carrying out Census which is billed to take place next year while noting that Nigeria “could rank third largest in 2050 after China and India”.

Speaking at the national stakeholders’ summit on the 2023 Population and Housing Census held at the State House on Thursday, August 11, President Buhari in a release signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina,said a “reliable, credible, acceptable and successful census’’ will help government in planning purpose for development, especially in bolstering the social security programme that targets more vulnerable Nigerians.

“The country’s inability to conduct a population census in the last 16 years has created an information vacuum as the data from the last census conducted in 2006 has been rendered out of date for planning purposes. It has therefore become imperative for the nation to conduct another national census to produce a new set of demographic and socio-economic data that will provide the basis for national planning and sustainable development.

“With a projected population of 216,783,381, Nigeria is the sixth most populous country in the world and the most populous country on the African continent. Due to the rapidly growing nature of the population and large proportion of the youthful population, Nigeria is also projected to be the third most populous country in the World by the year 2050 after India and China,’’ he said.
Despite Nigeria’s high-ranking position on the global demographic map, the President said its population censuses had been conducted irregularly and at intervals, longer than the United Nations recommended 10 years.

“This irregular and long interval of census taking in Nigeria, has denied the nation the huge benefits of comprehensive baseline data for evidence-based decision-making.
“Since our assumption of office in 2015, our administration has introduced several poverty reduction and youth empowerment programmes, which are making concrete improvements in the living standards of our people. There is a need to ensure that further implementation of these programmes will be driven by the 2023 Census data that will improve the implementation of programmes targeting vulnerable populations and ensuring as widespread coverage as possible.
“The nation requires a new data set to drive the implementation of the recently launched revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development and other government policies. The 2023 Census data is also needed to tackle the security challenges bedevilling the country as it will give an overview of the population, where we are and who we are,’’ he added.
President Buhari called for support of stakeholders, which include State Governments, Local Government Councils, Traditional and Religious Institutions, Civil Society Organizations, Private Sectors, media, Development Partners, Donor Agencies and the general populace for the successful conduct of the 2023 Census.
“Ordinarily, conducting a population census is a routine national event that is the ultimate responsibility of every national government. Census taking cannot be left to the National Population Commission alone,’’ he said.
President Buhari noted that the government would appreciate all support from donors, development partners and the international community in order to ensure that the Commission conducts a census that would be transparent, credible and meet national and international standard.

Chairman of the NPC, Nasir Isa Kwarra, thanked the President for the approval for the 2023 Census in April, after the general elections, assuring that the commission will work hard to make it “credible and acceptable’’.
According to the release, several dignitaries attended the occasion.