Nigerian Government to Include Religion, Ethnicity in 2018 Population Census Data
Nigerian Government to Include Religion, Ethnicity in 2018 Population Census Data
The Federal Government said on Thursday that religion and ethnicity will be included in the 2018 Population census data, the Punch is reporting.
The government also stated that it has released over N775m for the conduct of Enumeration Area Demarcation exercise throughout the country in preparation for the planned population census.
“Now, on the question of some of the things missing in the last census; well, we are making a commitment about improving on what might have happened in the past. Some of these things are there. We intend to improve on them,” said the chairman of the National Population Commission, Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN) in Abuja.
The Population Commission Chairman also said he is not claiming that things were terribly bad in the past, but in his tenure the commission just wants to make sure that whatever product they put forth after 2018 population census would be accepted by the majority of Nigerians, and this for him should be the test.
According to him:
“Those things that ought to be there, something like religion, ethnicity and others; I know there is something controversial about them. Now, we want to engage Nigerians on some of those things. We want to let Nigerians to give us feedback on what they want or what they think because we don’t claim to know it all here.
“And that is why we have never been tired of telling you what we are doing. We tell you all that so that you can criticise us and make input. If you think any particular step we are taking is wrong, tell us. It is our duty to accept corrections.
“So, the assurance I give you is that most of those things you complained about will not be left out in the census we are contemplating.”
