For nearly two decades, Nigeria has been making critical national decisions without a current picture of its population. From budgeting and infrastructure to healthcare, education, and security, the country’s development plans have largely relied on estimates rather than verified data.
With more than 200 million people, Africa’s most populous nation can no longer afford to govern using figures from 2006. The growing consensus among policy experts is clear: Nigeria urgently needs a credible, technology-driven national census.
Nigeria’s last national census was conducted in 2006, when the country’s population was officially recorded at 140.4 million.
Although another census was initially planned for 2016, it was postponed to 2018 and later delayed again, leaving the country without an updated population count for 20 years.
Previous census exercises were conducted in 1953, 1963, 1973, and 1991. However, the 1973 census was annulled following widespread allegations of irregularities, while subsequent exercises have also faced questions over their accuracy.
Today, government planning, revenue allocation, and public services continue to depend largely on projections rather than verified demographic data.
A national census provides the foundation for effective governance.
Accurate data helps authorities determine where schools, hospitals, roads, water projects, and electricity infrastructure are most needed. It also provides critical information on age distribution, household sizes, migration patterns, birth and death rates, and other demographic trends.
Without updated figures, development planning risks being disconnected from the realities on the ground.
Population remains a key factor in Nigeria’s revenue allocation formula under the Constitution.
As populations shift through migration, urbanisation, and displacement, outdated figures can create disputes over resource distribution among states and local governments.
An updated census would provide a more reliable basis for allocating funds for education, healthcare, infrastructure, and other public services.
Reliable population data also plays an important role in electoral planning.
Current demographic information can assist the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in reviewing constituencies, establishing polling units, and distributing election materials based on actual population trends.
Accurate data helps ensure that electoral planning reflects the country’s changing demographics.
Nigeria’s youthful population is frequently described as one of its greatest assets.
A comprehensive census would generate detailed information on education levels, employment, literacy, disability, housing conditions, and other socioeconomic indicators.
Such data could improve the planning and implementation of government programmes, including student loans, agricultural support schemes, healthcare interventions, and social welfare initiatives by identifying where beneficiaries are most needed.
Years of insecurity, internal displacement, and climate-related migration have significantly altered population patterns across Nigeria.
Entire communities have relocated, while new settlements have emerged.
An updated census would help security agencies, emergency responders, and humanitarian organisations better understand where people now live, improving disaster response, policing, and support for internally displaced persons.
Past census exercises have often been overshadowed by allegations of manipulation and political interference.
Experts argue that modern technologies—including biometric registration, satellite mapping, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and real-time digital data collection—could significantly improve transparency and reduce opportunities for fraud.
Many observers believe that a credible census would require adequate funding, institutional independence, and strong oversight from civil society and the media.
There are growing calls for the Federal Government, working with the National Population Commission (NPC) and relevant stakeholders, to announce a firm timetable for the next census and provide the resources needed to conduct it successfully.
Public awareness campaigns are also seen as essential to reassure citizens that the exercise is intended to improve national planning rather than advance political, ethnic, or religious interests.
Nearly 20 years after Nigeria’s last population count, many of the country’s most important decisions continue to rely on outdated demographic estimates.
A credible national census would provide policymakers with reliable data to improve planning, strengthen public service delivery, support fairer resource allocation, and respond more effectively to the country’s changing social and economic realities.
As Nigeria’s population continues to grow and evolve, accurate data is increasingly viewed as a critical foundation for sustainable national development….See More