Senate Expresses Concern over the Lack of Accurate Population Data
The Senate has expressed concern over the lack of accurate population data for an effective planning of the country’s socio-economic development.
The Senate Committee on National Identity and National Population says the existing data are guesswork
The committee chairman, Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, expressed the concern while receiving a delegation of top officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) in his office in Abuja.
According to the Senator, some public analysts put Nigeria’s population figure at over 200 million, others say it is 220 million, while several others estimated it at 250 million.
The committee chairman said successive administrations in Nigeria had been planning with inconsistent numbers, making it difficult for them to arrive at a strategic plan for the future of the country.
He told the NPC which is about to conduct a fresh population and housing census that getting an accurate figure was not an easy task in Nigeria, because the outcome of the previous headcount exercise was always a source of dispute among Nigerians.
Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Identity and National Population, expressed grave concerns over the lack of reliable population data to effectively plan for Nigeria’s future.
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He lamented the reliance on inconsistent population figures by successive administrations, hindering the development of strategic plans.
Addressing a delegation from the National Population Commission led by Chairman Nasir Isa Kwarra, Senator Ningi emphasized that public analysts estimate Nigeria’s population to be over 200 million, with some suggesting 220 million and others even claiming over 250 million.
These are all mere guesstimates. The NPC is constitutionally mandated to provide accurate population data, and an Act of Parliament further reinforces this responsibility.
If we aspire to join the ranks of nations that make a global impact, we must understand our actions and our capabilities.
Without knowing who we are and how many we are, we cannot continue to operate based on guesswork.
He stressed the importance of conducting a population census to prepare for the future.
Senator Babangida Hussaini, a member of the committee and Senator representing Jigawa Northwest emphasized the need for measures to effectively police Nigeria’s 927,000 sq km territory to curb illegal immigration.
