EDITORIAL: Poor Mobilization For The 2023 Census

Over seventeen years ago, precisely in 2006, a population and housing census was conducted and the full impact of that project has been largely unclear. This is  because as shameful as it is, even the federal, state and local governments which need statistics and the demographic data of the census for planning cannot authenticate the figures. Figures have only been bandied around, yet Nigerian leaders expect they could plan with such a guess material.

This poor conduct of the 2006 national census explains why the country has been wobbling in all sectors. Census is the main tool for planning, so that each sector will get finances and other resources to achieve results.

It is common place to hear leaders at different levels and this includes the Presidency, Members of the National Assembly, Governors, State Houses of Assembly Members, Local Government Chairmen, mention all kinds of figures when it came to a discussion on the population of Nigeria.

At no one time have two leaders mentioned an exact figure as touching the population of Nigeria. The figures begin from one hundred million to two hundred million and there are some that have lifted the population of Nigeria to the billion level. But none of this figure is right.

The consequence of this is that in the educational sector there has not been adequate planning. The authorities are completely unaware of the number of children of school age. Therefore, planning to employ teachers and other category of staff to meet the demands of the population cannot be done. Worse still, the lack of adequate census figures makes it impossible to extrapolate and almost accurately predict the growth levels of the population in order to plan for children that will be of school age in five years time.

As a result of the foregoing, there is a big crisis in the education sector on a yearly basis. There is always a burgeoning enrollment which is over and above the classrooms, teachers and equipment available. This is the situation from primary to tertiary levels. 

The resultant effect of this situation on the educational system is a demotivated work force, poor teaching and learning. This is also why the standard of education in Nigeria has dropped to such an extent that smaller African countries  which looked up to Nigeria for leadership in the education sector have suddenly taken over leadership positions.

The Eyes Portal Newspapers is disturbed that Nigerian youths now leave the shores of Nigeria to seek what they think is better quality education in Ghana, Benin republic and Togo. This is seriously scandalous.

All the challenges in the educational sector can be linked to poor planning because the statistics necessary to achieve good results are  not available. This is why The Eyes Portal newspapers believes the 2023  national census should be seized as a rare opportunity to get the actual population of growing children and those who are yet unborn to achieve good results.

The non- availability of accurate data in the health sector has led to the lack of doctors in hospitals, adequate facilities and even hospital buildings. The Eyes Portal newspapers finds it disturbing that several cases of infant and maternal mortality, deaths that occured due to lack of adequate manpower and general malaise in the sector is due to lack of planning to meet the health needs of the people.

The housing, transportation, security sector and the entire gamut of systems that run Nigeria and impact the  daily lives of the people have performed poorly due to lack of adequate planning. The place of statistics is definitely central to development of any people and nation and this is why in the opinion of The Eyes Portal Newspapers, the 2023 national census should be given greater attention than it is getting right now.

Across the nation, The Eyes Portal Newspapers is sad to report that the level of mobilization of the citizenry for the forthcoming census is so poor and we aver that this is unacceptable. If this situation is allowed to go on, then one more time, Nigeria and Nigerians will  lose the opportunity to gather the right data for planning.

So far, the National Population Commission (NPC) has done its bit to meet critical stakeholders and prepare all the category of staff in readiness for the census, but in the view of The Eyes Portal Newspapers, the people are not sufficiently educated on the importance of the census and the benefits therein.

Apart from scanty advertisements on national television and jingles on radio, The Eyes Portal Newspapers insists that the advertisement in the traditional media is inadequate. The federal government through the NPC should increase its budget for advertising and this advertisements should be done in the various dialects of Nigeria. It is not too late , Should the advertisement in the traditional media and the social media be heightened, The Eyes Portal Newspapers believes that in the next three weeks a lot can be achieved in the area of information dissemination and the people will participate more actively.

The Eyes Portal Newspapers is also of the view that should the political class take the census as seriously as they did with their campaigns in the just concluded general elections, they can take the message to their constituencies properly.

The Eyes Portal Newspapers calls on the political class to segment the awareness at local, state and federal levels. They should collaborate where necessary and take the message of the importance of the census to the people. The people need to be told again and  again of the importance of the census to national planning and execution of projects,  so that they can participate fully and then proper data is generated for the purposes of planning and execution of projects and Programmes.

The federal lawmakers, the executive at the state levels and the House of Assembly Members, local government chairmen, councillors and supervisors should take the message of the value of the census right to their wards and units in order for the people to be well informed of the census and this is to eventually drive participation.

On the long run, The Eyes Portal newspapers believes that when the political, traditional, religious, and other opinion stakeholders show the kind of interest showed during the just concluded elections, then everyone will come out to be counted and just once since independence, Nigeria will get the census figures that can be relied on for planning..