BUHARI ANDTHE 2016 CENSUS

Compilation of demographic data/record for different reasons remains a constant characteristic of all civilisations past or present. In particular, the usual purposes of such compilation among the past civilisations were in the main, to impose taxations, assign military duties or other onerous community services upon those considered to be eligible. However, the purpose of compiling and keeping record in the modern society has changed or moved beyond tax imposition and assignment of military duties. In today’s world, no meaningful socio-economic planning is feasible without adequate records of the population. In each societal type, be it primitive or modern, people plan for the population and they need the population to plan. Thus planning becomes a central issue in all known societies, no matter their type and stage of development, while demographic data form the basis of such planning. The relationship between population, planning and development (measured in terms of economic wellbeing) has a long history which has been documented in demographic studies. This also continues to be the focus of many international conferences on population, e.g. World population conference, Bucharest(1974), Mexico (1984),International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), and ICOD, New York(1999). The common denominator in all of these conferences was the submission that there is an important relationship between population and what we call sustainable development. Every human activity is closely related with population patterns as well as the level and capacity of its national resources. To speed up the pace of sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and improved quality of the people, population has to be fully integrated into economic development strategies. Dr. Okechukwu Enelamah, a ministerial nominee, in answering questions on the senate screening exercise, emphasised that “attracting investment and economic development could be linked to our population and demographics. Nigeria is seen as the giant of Africa because of our huge and fast growing population. Every investor wants to look out for potential consumers”. Similarly, Mrs. Amina Mohammed, a former Senior Special Assistant to the president on MDGs, and a ministerial nominee under President Muhammadu Buhari, said that, “the major challenge that confronted the nation in not meeting with the millennium development goals was the dearth or near absence of baseline statistics for planning whether in the medium or long term”.

Following from the above therefore, one can assert that planning for development cannot be possible without adequate records of some population variables and their distribution across the human communities we want to develop. But facts about this population do not come from the blues, instead they are generated mainly from the census.

Census is the total process of counting, collating, compiling and publishing of the population of a people and its characteristics within a defined territory at a given period of time. The 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), made express provisions for the conduct of the census. The powers to conduct the census, civil registration, and demographic surveys are equally vested on the National Population Commission (NPC), by the same constitution. While civil registration and surveys are carried out on a continous and regular basis, the population and housing census is a decennial event. The implication of the above is that, it falls into long term plan of action and hence, it is the foundation block for future economic planning and reference. This is why every aspect of our socio-economic, political and even academic researches and exercises are anchored on or referenced to the census conducted nearly 10 years ago. The fundamental purpose of the census is to provide facts essential to governments for policy-making, planning and administration. The characteristics of the population derive the decision-making that facilitates the development of socio-economic policies that will enhance the welfare of the population. Additionally, census provides important data for the analyses and appraisal of the changing patterns of rural –urban migration and settlement patterns, urbanisation and its attendant socio-economic implications, the distribution of the population according to such variables as geography, age, sex, religion, ethnicity, educational attainment/ school enrolment, occupation/employment status, etc., and their effects on internal labour migration, as well as international labour migration and brain drain. The information from census records are also critical in the decision making process of the private sector. Population size and characteristics influence the location of business and services that satisfy the needs of the population.

As the 2016 census year approaches, there are no signs from any quarter indicating the readiness of the federal government to give Nigerians a credible, comprehensive and reliable census. It is more worrisome and unfortunate that neither NPC nor the presidency has deemed it fit to explain to Nigerians on why this exercise should not take place. Obinna Duru, Owerri.