As planning activities towards head-count of Nigerians starting from May 3rd, the National Population Commission has given assurances that it will not ask Nigerians questions regarding religious affiliation and ethnicity during the process. It has also asked Nigerians to remain at their different states where they reside for the exercise. In a statement issued on
As planning activities towards head-count of Nigerians starting from May 3rd, the National Population Commission has given assurances that it will not ask Nigerians questions regarding religious affiliation and ethnicity during the process. It has also asked Nigerians to remain at their different states where they reside for the exercise.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, NPC Director of Public Affairs Isiaka Yahaya stated that the decision to exclude ethnicity and religion from the questionnaires was due to the sensitive nature of these issues in Nigeria’s political organizations and structure.
In response to a viral claim on social media that the population commission would base its questions on religious affiliations to suppress Muslim population figures across the country, Mr Yahaya stated that such information should be brushed aside, adding that some elements are determined to create controversies about the upcoming census.
He, however, noted that the goal of the commission is to prepare a questionnaire that will generate data which will further enhance sustainable development in the country without ethnic or religious biases.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission wishes to state unequivocally that the 2023 Population and Housing Census will not canvass questions on religion and religious affiliations of respondents.
“The decision to exclude religion along with ethnicity from the census questionnaire was taken in due consideration of the sensitive nature of these issues within the Nigerian polity and the need to save the census data from needless controversies and attention.
The re-circulation of the message in audio form as the Commission sets to conduct the 2023 Population and Housing Census in May 2023 is an indication that some elements are bent on drawing the 2023 Census into unnecessary controversies through the propagation of falsehood and incitement of a section of the population to destabilize existing peaceful coexistence in the country.
“The Commission carried out extensive consultation with data users and stakeholders in coming up with the questions to be canvassed in the next census. The overarching goal of the questionnaire is to generate data that will facilitate sustainable development. The questionnaire is robust and includes demographic characteristics of respondents and other socio-economic characteristics but without any question whatsoever on religion and ethnicity.
“Members of the general public are therefore enjoined to disregard the rumour of question on religious affiliation contained in the audio tape in circulation and extend maximum cooperation to the enumerators for the sake of delivering a credible, reliable and acceptable 2023 Population and Housing Census data for national development planning”.
