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The 2006 Nigeria Census Figures……

that has been officially released by President Obasanjo led PDP government should be consigned to a dustbin, should be thrashed, for that is where that charade, a monumental waste of taxpayers funds belongs. It is like everything President Obasanjo: a complete disaster. The late Hon Chuba Okadigbo described President Obasanjo as a ‘Curse to Nigeria’. I thought his views were a bit extreme then but now I concur with him. The good people of the South West Geopolitical zone knew the man Obasanjo very well and have refused to acknowledge him as a Nigerian President of Yoruba extraction. The man indeed is a mercenary, a soldier of fortune with no constituency. He has, but only hatred for Nigeria. All he knows is his personal agenda, his selfishness. Otherwise, how can he champion this disaster of a census outcome.

A revisit of the census figures posits that Nigeria’s population is 140 million, geographically spread thus: -

  • North West – 35,786,944
  • North Central – 20,266, 257
  • North East – 18,971.965

Giving the total Northern Nigeria a population of 75,025,166

  • South West – 27,581,992
  • South South – 21,014, 655
  • South East – 16,381,729

Giving the total Southern Nigeria a population of 64,978,376

There is nowhere in the world that population increases Desert-wise except Nigeria but then no country in the world is like Nigeria. Nigeria I hail thee.

Nigeria is bordered in the Northeast by The Republic of Chad. Chad has a total land area of 1.28 Million Square Kilometres and a population of 9.1 Million. From the North Central stretching to Northwest, Nigeria is bordered by The Republic of Niger. The Republic of Niger has a land area of 1.27 Million Square Kilometres and a population of 12.9 Million. Nigeria itself has a total land area of 923,768 Square Kilometres (Sources: www.cia.gov.cia.publications.factbook; http:/news.bbc.co.uk/ world/Africa). The desert countries of Chad and Niger Republics each with land masses greater than Nigeria have populations of 9.1 Million and 12.9 Million people respectively and Nigerian Population Commission (NPC) is telling Nigerians that Northern Nigeria with far less land mass than Chad and Niger have a population of 75 Million People. Chad, Niger and Northern Nigeria share the same topography and economy. This is what President Obasanjo in his high heavens want Nigerians to accept.

A further breakdown of this nonsense of a census figure again posits that Kano State has a population of 9.3 Million people (More than Republic of Chad) whilst Lagos state has a population of 9 Million people i.e. Kano State is more populated than Lagos State. Even a blind Nigerian knows that this does not add up.

This charade of a census figure goes on to say that the combined population of Anambra and Imo State (8 Million People) is less than that of Kano State alone. What arrant nonsense. The National Population Commission in further making idiots of itself put the population of Anambra State at 4.1 Million People and that of Imo State at 3.9 Million thereby indicating that Anambra State is more populated than Imo State. Any one who knows the demography of Southeast Nigeria is well aware that Imo State is the most populous state in that area.

The mentally retarded NPC went on to put the population of Kaduna State (6 Million) and Katsina State (5.7 Million) above Oyo State (5.5 Million). For the uninitiated, Oyo State with Ibadan as its capital is the heartbeat of Yoruba land. Any scholar of Nigerian affairs should be au fair with the population of Ibadan. I was, way back in the 70’s, in primary school.

The census was based on domicile rather than state of origin, which is understandable for planning purposes. The most contributing factor regarding domicile is economic opportunity: People migrate where there are better economic avenues for them. The economic opportunities in Nigeria reside solidly in the south. Pre-independence when agriculture played a major role in Nigerian economy, the North had economic leverage to some extent but Post-independence and with total dependence on crude oil, petro-dollars, the South have a total dominance on Nigerian economy, so domicile, economic migration in current day Nigeria is South bound. This amongst the other factor earlier stated entails that Southern Nigeria should be far more populated than Northern Nigeria but President Obasanjo for reasons best known to him and NPC are telling Nigerians otherwise. What an insult on our collective intelligence.

To scientifically scrutinise the census data, NPC can in no possible way enumerate the population of Nigeria, It has not got the knowledge know-how, it has not got the expertise, it has not got the experience, it has not got the dedication, it has not got the funds, it has got nothing to enumerate 987 Thousand Sq Km, over 2000 towns and villages, deserts, several islands, jungle forests, erosion devastated communities, ethnic militants policed areas, etc. Where and who trained NPC staff on data analysis? When and how was NPC staff recruited? For a nation that cannot refine crude oil, Biafra with all its handicaps, could. For a country that cannot run an airline. For a country that has no electricity. For a country that has no accredited university. For a country that has no water supply. For a country with dilapidated infrastructure. For a country that exports its best brains. For a nation with all these handicaps to come out and categorically state that it has got what it takes to collate data on its diverse citizenry is the talk of the century. For the avoidance of doubt, Nigeria’s economy is totally dependent on crude oil but Nigeria does not know how many barrels it produces or sells, otherwise, why is the country continuously operating on budget deficits despite pegging the price of crude oil at sixty percent market rate for budget purposes.

In accepting the lunatic census figures presented by the equally lunatic NPC, President Obasanjo was quoted as saying “While our administration takes cognizance of the fact that no human enterprise is imbued with absolute flawlessness or perfection, we applaud the National Population Commission for its strict adherence to the principles of scientific objectivity and integrity, rigorous commitment to the critical essence of the credibility and integrity of the process; and a proper appreciation of the profundity of the national assignment with which they were entrusted, and which they discharged creditably well.” Creditably well indeed. This is a President Obasanjo led government that has failed Nigerians woefully in every facet. The man Obasanjo is a clown, God save us.

The essence of a census exercise is to provide Government with demographic data for planning purposes. To plan for education, to plan for healthcare, to plan for job creation, to plan for rural-urban migration, to plan for pensioners, to plan for infrastructural development, to plan for posterity. But when a census exercise is reduced to nothingness, how can a government plan? How can a government move the citizenry forward? How can Nigeria move forward if we are told that Kano State is more populated than Lagos State, that you have more people in Katsina than Ibadan, that Imo State that have more JAMB candidates than the whole of the Northern States put together is a fraction of Kano state, population-wise, that Abuja and Bayelsa State have almost the same population, that there are better economic opportunities in Zamfara State than Ondo State. President Obasanjo and his NPC cohorts, please leave Nigeria alone.

President Obasanjo personally has benefited more from Nigeria with minimal cerebral input than any other Nigerian, as he approaches his twilight years, it will be honourable for him, to give back, a little, to Nigeria from all he has taken.

On a lighter side, bad news do breed good tidings depending on how one looks at it. Kano State with a population of 9.3 Million people have circa 46 Local Government Councils with its attendant economic benefits, whilst Lagos State with a population of 9 Million people is disadvantaged with 22 Local Government Councils. Perhaps this census exercise will address this imbalance for Lagos State

Chidi Anyaeche Mr. B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. (London), M.Sc. (Cranfield)

Email. Chidi_Anyaeche@hotmail.com



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