Nigeria’s National Population Commission, NPC, has said that questions on religion and ethnicity were not included in the 2023 census questionnaire.
The Commission was reacting to a viral message which claimed that the next Population and Housing Census in Nigeria will canvass questions on religion.
In a statement issued by Director, Public Affairs Department, of the Commission, Dr Yahaya Bello stated that the viral message was first circulated in Ghana during its last population census exercise.
According to the Commission, circulation of the message a few days into the conduct of the current Trial Census fieldwork nationwide was, “deliberately timed to sow disaffection among the major religious groups in the country.
The Director Public Affairs Department added that “For the avoidance of doubt, the 2023 Census and the ongoing Trial Census, like previous censuses of 1991 and 2006, have no questions on religion and ethnicity.”
He however stated that the Commission has noted religion and ethnicity as important indices in the demographics of any country but due to the volatile nature of these items in the national discourse.
The Commission said that “it was agreed that religion and ethnicity should not be included in the Census questionnaire in order to insulate the process and outcomes from unnecessary controversies”.
He further urged Nigerians to cooperate with enumerators to ensure a successful Trial Census exercise in its quest to deliver to the country a credible, reliable and acceptable census.
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