Census 2023: Buhari’s Best Legacy for National Planning, Devt Dike Onwuamaeze President Muhammadu Buhari is about to bequeath to Nigerians one of the best legacies as the National Population Commission (NPC) ha
President Muhammadu Buhari is about to bequeath to Nigerians one of the best legacies as the National Population Commission has concluded plans to hold next census in April 2023.Nigerians and indeed, the world may not have given Buhari the rightful acclaim that he deserves but since he gave approval to the NPC proposal to conduct the census, the news has been cheered across the nation and within the global business and development communities.
“For the avoidance of doubt, census is not a jamboree or a statistical exercise in futility. It is meant to help in national planning, delineate the demographics of a nation as well as map out population densities of the various federating components of such nation to aid in moments of national emergencies, distribution of resources and public utilities including schools, hospitals, etcetera.
“This makes the case of the 2023 census both imperative and compelling. Postponing next year’s census under any guise accentuates the lack of seriousness of the nation and projects Nigeria in bad light in the comity of nations. It is simply ridiculous. “On the contrary, Nigerians should live with the consciousness that election is a democratic festival to celebrate the liberty of the people to freely choose their leaders. Nigerians should abhor such notion that every election is a herald of mayhem.
“South Korea, Canada, and Japan hold census every five years. India, with her bulky population, has maintained a 10-year frequency since 1872 when the first census was conducted. Why then should Nigeria not conduct her census at such frequency?