Nigeria to Hold National Census in 2023, First of Its Kind in 17 Years

People walk during rush hours in Lagos, Nigeria, Monday, Nov. 14, 2022. The world’s population is projected to hit an estimated 8 billion people on Tuesday, Nov. 15, according to a United Nations projection. InternationalIndiaAfricaMuhammad OsmanSince its independence in 1960, Nigeria has held five national censuses – in 1962, 1963, 1973, 1991, and 2006. The 2006 census estimated the population of Nigeria at 140 million.Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, has announced the dates of its first national census in 17 years, the sixth one in the country since its independence in October 1960.Nasir Isah Kwarra, chairperson of Nigeria’s National Population Commission (NPC), said that the 2023 census is planned to take place in the period between March 29 and April 2. It’s worth noting that the whole procedure will take place just a few weeks following the country’s general elections.The Nigerian federal government has allocated 190 billion Nigerian naira ($419 million) for the March-April census. It will also be the first digital census in Nigeria’s history.© East News/ Tim GrahamCrowd attending tribal gathering durbar cultural event at Maiduguri in Nigeria, West AfricaCrowd attending tribal gathering durbar cultural event at Maiduguri in Nigeria, West AfricaThe census was initially scheduled to be carried out in 2021, but it was postponed due to major internal insecurity caused by terrorist groups in the northeast of the country, along with various armed gangs who would kidnap and kill locals in the northwest.The West African country, which has the largest population on the continent, held its last nationwide census in 2006, with the total number of citizens standing at 140 million. Since then, Nigeria’s population has grown by upwards of 80 million, increasing to over 220 million, according to the estimations of the United States Census Bureau.Moreover, if the trend continues, the bureau projects that the population of the country, which is currently the world’s sixth largest, will double by 2050 and reach 400 million, making Nigeria the world’s third most populous country.

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