Nigeria’s Annual Population Growth Rate Hits 3.2%, Says NPC

The National Population Commission (NPC) has revealed that Nigeria's population growth rate was estimated to be 3.2% annually.

Ejike Eze, who serves as NPC federal commissioner representing Enugu State, shared this while speaking at the University of Nigeria Enugu during an event organized by the commission and the Institute of Development Studies.

Eze revealed Nigeria was one of the fastest growing populations, and added that a periodic census was required in order to make a proper plan for the development program of the country. He noted that the last population census was done 17 years ago in Nigeria.

"This is because the data from the last census in 2006 has been rendered less useful for planning purposes," he said, People's Gazette reported. "There is also the need to ensure the implementation of poverty alleviation programmes driven by current data obtained from the 2023 census."

He went on to explain that these implementations will improve the programs, which will be created to target vulnerable populations, ensuring "no one is left behind."

The commissioner said religion and ethnicity have been deliberately removed from the questionnaires, keeping the sensitive nature of the issues in mind. "And also, to save the census data from needless controversies and attention," he added.

Nigeria's last census will be held after 17 years in July. It was supposed to be held in May, but was postponed due to elections.

Before May, the census was scheduled for March. However, former president Muhammadu Buhari announced the postponement after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

It is estimated that Nigeria's current population is about 216 million. However, the exact numbers will be out following the census, for which the dates have not been announced. This will mark the fifth national census in Nigeria since its independence.

Nigeria has been going through a lot of changes in little time. It has only been four weeks since Bola Ahmed Tinubu's took over as the president of the country.

Since then, the federal government has changed 15 airport names, implemented VAT on diesel, removed fuel subsidies that increased petrol prices, and announced the issuing of special ID cards for senior citizens.

President Tinubu-led government also inherited more than N16 Trillion worth of incomplete projects from his predecessor, Buhari.