Census in Nigeria

Last updated October 31, 2024

The Nigerian census has taken place irregularly since independence. It collects data on various statistics related to population and housing. It is often a controversial process with frequent allegations of data manipulation for political purposes. The 2023 census of Nigeria is the most recent to take place in the country. Meanwhile, 2006 census is the last successfully recorded census in Nigeria.

History

The first census in what is now Nigeria was the 1866 census of the British-controlled Lagos Colony. Beginning in 1871, censuses were taken in Lagos Colony every 10 years (1871, 1881, 1891, and 1901), following British tradition of decennial censuses. Lagos Colony was merged into the Southern Nigeria Protectorate in 1906, and the 1911 census nominally covered that combined area. However, since British colonial control did not effectively extend to all the areas they claimed as part of the Southern Nigeria Protectorate at the time, the 1911 census only covered part of the area it was supposed to. Meanwhile, census taking had also begun taking place in the Northern Nigeria Protectorate at some point. After the two protectorates were merged in 1914, their respective censuses were merged. The 1921 census was thus the first to cover all of Nigeria. Another census took place in 1931, but unrest in the east prevented census taking in some towns and locust swarms in the north resulted in some census staff being diverted to "anti-locust duties" instead. Due to the Second World War, no census took place in Nigeria in 1941.^[1]

However, all of these early censuses were really more like population estimates. They were based only on records of people who were paying taxes, and they excluded infants and the elderly.^[1]

The last census to take place under British rule was staggered over two years, 1952 and 1953. It was the first to use modern methods, but many people were suspicious of its intentions and did not participate, resulting in significant undercounting. The fact that it was not taken simultaneously in different states also limited its usefulness in comparing between states.^[1]

The first census to take place after Nigerian independence was the 1962 census.^[2] It was also the first to take place simultaneously across the entire country.^[1] However, this census was highly contentious because its results would determine parliamentary representation, revenue allocation, and how many employees the civil service would hire from each state. Since the north was considered dominant in Nigerian politics at the time, the 1962 census was especially heavily publicised by southern politicians. When the results were published, they indicated that "the north had lost its majority share of the country's population". The government ordered a second census to take place in 1963, with the result that "an additional 8.5 million people were discovered in the north".^[2] The 1963 census ended up being contested in the Supreme Court, but the court declined to issue a ruling on the matter, saying it "lacked jurisdiction over the administrative functions of the federal government".^[1]

Another census was conducted in 1973, but this one was so controversial, and the results seemed so implausible, that the government decided not to publish the results on the grounds that there seemed to have been deliberate fabrication of data for political purposes.^[2]^[1]

The National Population Commission was formed in 1989, and it conducted the 1991 census of Nigeria.^[1] This census was also heavily contested, with over 100 court cases filed against the National Population Commission.^[3]

The 2006 census introduced several new features. It was the first census to include a housing component, and it was also the first to use GPS and satellite data as well as machine-readable forms.^[1] However, it was also highly politicised and had several shortcomings. For example, it did not provide data below local government levels, and the post-enumeration survey was poorly implemented.^[4] A number of census takers also quit in protest of lack of pay, and there was also reportedly some disruption of census taking in the east by the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra. Once the preliminary census figures were published in early 2007, several state governments contested the official numbers. For example, in Lagos State, which had conducted its own "parallel" census in 2006 in collaboration with the National Population Commission, the state governor Bola Tinubu called for a recount because the state and national censuses had different results.^[3]

The next census was supposed to take place in 2016, but due to lack of funds it was initially scheduled for 2018^[2] and then rescheduled for 2022^[4] and then in 2022 postponed again so that it would take place in 2023. As of January 2023, it was estimated that almost 800,000 workers would be involved in taking the census, processing its results, and other related roles.^[5]

Statistics measured

The 2006 census, for example, collected information on things like age, sex, occupation, literacy, employment, housing, and access to water, electricity, and other household amenities. Among the statistics it did not include were birth and death rates, migration, and disability.^[4]

Political issues

The Nigerian census tends to be controversial, and figures are often manipulated for political and economic reasons.^[3] Representation in the House of Representatives is based on census results, with each state receiving constituencies based on state population, and each constituency is at least in theory supposed to represent a roughly equal population.^[5] Census results also determine how much money is allocated to state and local governments.^[3]

Related Research Articles

Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south in the Atlantic Ocean. It covers an area of 923,769 square kilometres (356,669 sq mi). With a population of more than 230 million, it is the most populous country in Africa, and the world's sixth-most populous country. Nigeria borders Niger in the north, Chad in the northeast, Cameroon in the east, and Benin in the west. Nigeria is a federal republic comprising 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, where its capital, Abuja, is located. The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the largest in Africa.

The history of Nigeria can be traced to the earliest inhabitants whose remains date from at least 13,000 BC through early civilizations such as the Nok culture which began around 1500 BC. Numerous ancient African civilizations settled in the region that is known today as Nigeria, such as the Kingdom of Nri, the Benin Kingdom, and the Oyo Empire. Islam reached Nigeria through the Bornu Empire between and Hausa Kingdom during the 11th century, while Christianity came to Nigeria in the 15th century through Augustinian and Capuchin monks from Portugal to the Kingdom of Warri. The Songhai Empire also occupied part of the region. Through contact with Europeans, early harbour towns such as Calabar, Badagry and Bonny emerged along the coast after 1480, which did business in the transatlantic slave trade, among other things. Conflicts in the hinterland, such as the civil war in the Oyo Empire, meant that new enslaved people were constantly being "supplied".

Lagos, or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimate of 21 million, it is the largest city in Nigeria, and the most populous urban area on the African continent. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until the government's December 1991 decision to move their capital to Abuja in the centre of the country. Lagos is a major African financial centre and is the economic hub of Lagos State and Nigeria at large. The city has a significant influence on commerce, entertainment, technology, education, politics, tourism, art, and fashion in Africa. Lagos is also among the top ten of the world's fastest-growing cities and urban areas. In 2024, Time Out (magazine) ranked Lagos as the 19th Best City to visit in the World. A megacity, it has the fourth-highest GDP in Africa, and houses one of the largest and busiest seaports on the continent. Due to the large urban population and port traffic volumes, Lagos is classified as a Medium-Port Megacity.

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Lagos State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. Of the 36 Nigerian states, it is the second most populous state but the smallest in area. Bounded to the south by the Bight of Benin and to the west by the international border with Benin for 10 km, Lagos State borders Ogun State to the north for about 283 km, making it the only Nigerian state to border only one other state. Named for the city of Lagos—the most populous city in Africa—the state was formed from the Western Region and the former Federal Capital Territory on 27 May 1967.

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Northern Nigeria was a British protectorate which lasted from 1900 until 1914, and covered the northern part of what is now Nigeria.

Southern Nigeria was a British protectorate in the coastal areas of modern-day Nigeria formed in 1900 from the union of the Niger Coast Protectorate with territories chartered by the Royal Niger Company below Lokoja on the Niger River.

Ogun State is a state in southwestern Nigeria. As a Nigerian state, Ogun is the second most industrialised state after Lagos, with a focus on metal processing. It has good road and rail connections to the harbours in Lagos and Lekki. Wole Soyinka, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 1986, lives in Ogun.

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The Ẹgbado, now Yewa, are a subgroup of the Yoruba people and mostly inhabit the eastern area of Ogun West Senatorial District, Ogun State, in south-west Nigeria, Africa. In 1995, the group's name was changed to Yewa after the Yewa River, the river (odo) they foraged towards. The name of this river is derived from the Yoruba goddess Yewa. Yewa/Ẹgbado mainly occupy four Local Government Areas in Ogun State, Yewa South, Yewa North, Imeko-Afon, and Ipokia, while the Ado-Odo/Ota LGA forms the fifth Awori part of the senatorial district. Other Yewa/Ẹgbado are located in Lagos West, Lagos East, Oyo North, and Oyo South senatorial zones.

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References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The Previous Census". 2023 Population Census. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
1 2 3 4 Fawehinmi, Femi (6 March 2018). "The story of how Nigeria's census figures became weaponized". Quartz. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
1 2 3 4 Olori, Toye (12 February 2007). "POPULATION-NIGERIA: 'We Want Recount"". Inter Press Service . Retrieved 28 February 2024.
1 2 3 Fatade, Wale; Akinyemi, Akanni (8 March 2022). "Nigeria's 2022 census is overdue but preparation is in doubt". Quartz . Retrieved 26 February 2024.
1 2 Hassan, Judith (15 March 2023). "How Many People Are In Nigeria? Why Nigeria's Census Counts". The Republic . Retrieved 28 February 2024.

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[2023_census_website-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "The Previous Census". 2023 Population Census. Retrieved 26 February 2024.

[Fawehinmi_2018-2] 1 2 3 4 Fawehinmi, Femi (6 March 2018). "The story of how Nigeria's census figures became weaponized". Quartz. Retrieved 26 February 2024.

[Olori_2007-3] 1 2 3 4 Olori, Toye (12 February 2007). "POPULATION-NIGERIA: 'We Want Recount"". Inter Press Service . Retrieved 28 February 2024.

[Fatade_and_Akinyemi_2022-4] 1 2 3 Fatade, Wale; Akinyemi, Akanni (8 March 2022). "Nigeria's 2022 census is overdue but preparation is in doubt". Quartz . Retrieved 26 February 2024.

[Hassan_2023-5] 1 2 Hassan, Judith (15 March 2023). "How Many People Are In Nigeria? Why Nigeria's Census Counts". The Republic . Retrieved 28 February 2024.

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