Reps Member Charges FG To Conduct New Census, Says Exercise Key To Economic Recovery

Idirissu Lawal, the lawmaker representing Ajaokuta Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, has called on the Federal Government to take urgent step towards the conduct of a credible census in the country before the end of 2021.

Lawal told Guardian in Lokoja on Thursday, that it is fool hardy for the country to continue to guess its population; a development that has hampered proper planning and put a negative toga on the country.

The lawmaker whose sponsored bill in the House of representative seeking to amend the National Population Commission Act. CAP N67 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, passed second reading on Tuesday, said he believes that President Muhammadu Buhari will be interested in conducting new census, adding that the best way to set Nigeria back on the path of recovery; especially with the devastating efforts of the coronavirus pandemic, is to secure an authentic and verifiable records of its population through a validly conducted population census.

“It is extremely important to conduct a new national census, the last one conducted was in 2006. 14 years is too long a time for such exercise. And It does not augur well for us as a country to relie solely on projections by foreign bodies on her population figures for planning,” he said.

“Population census is an important national assignment because its figures are critical for national planning. The lack of accurate data on the population of Nigeria has been affecting national planning and development at all levels.

“The Federal Government should come up with a comprehensive timetable for the conduct of the census.

“Most countries around the world who knows the importance of census carried out their census every ten years. Without a census, and an accurate data of the number of people in a given country, no government can provide adequately for its citizens.”

The Kogi federal lawmaker further advised that the figures of the census at the end of the exercise must be a generally acceptable one, while stressing the need for it to be conducted at regular intervals.

“If adequate measures are not put in place to ensure that population census is conducted periodically, at least once every 10 years, Nigeria will be lacking in the statistical data of its citizens either politically or economically.”