There will be no census this year, says NPC boss

US consulate worry over Nigeria’s rapid population growth

CHAIRMAN, National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Eze Duruiheoma, yesterday in Abuja, declared that there would be no census this year.

Duruiheoma said so far, only 87 local councils from the 774 have been demarcated for the enumeration exercise.

His words: “Some people keep asking whether there would be census this year. There would be no census this year, because if there would be census, we would have been talking of about 600 or 700 local governments already demarcated and not just 87 local governments that have been demarcated.

“So, on the basis of that, there would be no census this year.”

Duruiheoma yesterday said poor funding slowed down the pace of demarcation exercise. He stated that the budget in 2015 for the Enumerated Area Demarcation (EAD) component was N22.5 billion; and the Commission has spent N2.4 billion on the 87 local government demarcated to date.

He said the Commission had previously demarcated 87 local government areas in all the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) under the previous EAD. The next EAD would have been in 16 states that included FCT , Kogi, Niger, Born, Adamawa and Kano.others are Jigawa, Katsina, Zamfara, Abia, Imo, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Oyo and Ekiti.

Duruiheoma added that the Commission has been constantly updating and improving on its methodology which enables data collection in a more efficient use-friendly manner.

Meanwhile, the US Consulate General, John Bray has expressed worry over nation’s teeming population, stating that the biggest concern about Nigerian is demography.

Speaking at a business workshop for journalists in Lagos, yesterday, Bray said if unchecked would impact negatively on the country’s economy and welfare.

According to him, Nigeria must focus on policies that would boost job creation and impact on the lives of the people to ensure sustainable economic growth.

He noted that the overall effects of this growth on the living standards, resources use and the environment will continue to change the nation’s landscape for a very long period of time if nothing is done to checkmate the rapid population growth.