The recent bickering between the United Nations and the National Population Commission over Nigeria’s current population figure is quite unnecessary and embarrassing. And it depicts perhaps, only one thing: that some national institutions of governance do not properly understand their mandates. Nigeria’s National Population Commission is one of them and so some change should begin with the very important Commission.
Disputes over the population numbers projected by different authorities are not new about Nigeria. For instance, in 2016, the World Bank estimated Nigeria’s population to be 186 million. Also, the United Nations in 2017 put Nigeria’s population at 180 million with a growth rate of 2.7 per cent. The last census was conducted in 2006, and even that one was too far from being a flawless exercise as many states, particularly Lagos, contested the figures credited to it by the NPC. Nothing can be more contentious than for the NPC to be dishing out bogus population figures that would be difficult to defend. This is part of what gives room for various estimates from both within and outside the country.
That has also made accurate head-count almost impossible as figures are curiously doctored by people with vested interests. The result is that there is no reliable population figure on which to base development planning. This is unfortunate in the extreme. That act of dishonesty sowed the seed of discord and injustice in the country. It is possible for Nigeria to transcend this unwholesome British imposition. But this deliberate falsehood will be difficult to erase until a competent NPC is allowed to do the right thing or allowed to do things right.
All told, it is important to mention that censuses and population awareness are not an end in themselves, but are only supposed to guide a nation through the process of building human capital.
That's the truth.
The truth is that Nigeria is not even up to 80,000,000 population.
There's no way the country will progress on the path we are now- lack of truth and integrity. How you keep reproducing without tangible plans for human development. You expose the child,make life unbearable for yourself and the Nation.
Even waec has at least 30% record of Nigeria population. You think NPC will merge all the separated indices held by all these ministries... NO.
The banks, and secondary schools alone can estimate 50% of Nigeria population. FG, State and LG payrolls can estimate another 25% but they are thieves keeping everything secret to benefit few Nigerians.
Yes they can at least use available registered data like DL, voters card, schools, plate license, hospital birth, prisons, airports, churches, mosques, payrolls etc... but they will never tally those figures together bcus of stupidities and selfishness coupled with ignorance.
It feels as tho, Nigeria population is about 400 million already. There are people everywhere u go in Nigeria. Lagos alone feels like 50 million people in the city. Nigeria is primitive in all ways of managing anything, name it, npc, nnpc, ports, customs, police, NA, NN, NAF etc
Education without employment
That's the main reason why the illetrate are ruling the literate
I hope government officials would not come after Guardiansnigeria truth is bitter to Nigeria Gov't