WHAT is the population of Lagos State? The National Population Commission (NPC) says it is 9,113,605, but the government disagrees.

It has asked the National Census Tribunal to examine the matter.

[b]According to a statement signed by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Shasore (SAN), the State government contended that the census result was unsustainable, pointing out that the exercise was not properly conducted.

Describing the figure as "inaccurate" and "unsustainable", the government, which hinged its conclusions on the result of "rigorous and in depth analysis of the entire exercise at the state’s Ministry of Science and Technology", said many residents in at least 19 of the 57 local government and local council development areas were not counted.

"The figures declared were unlikely to be correct having regards to the available data and statistics," the government said, adding that known demographic indicators, such as immunisation statistics, schools attendance population, birth rate and projection and Housing identity all show empirically that the population of Lagos State is much more than ascribed to it by the NPC.

Other indicators relied upon to back the challenge, the government said, include social and economic factors inclusive of high industrialisation, rapid urbanisation and improved standard of living in the state as well as such other demographic parameters as high immigration into the state, average household size and population growth rates as certified by international organisations and agencies, such as World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) among others[/b].

Copies of the schools attendance population for 2007 in both public and private primary and secondary schools, as collated by APPSERV Applied Services Limited, a private consultancy company contracted by the government in 2005 and the state’s immunisation figures for 2003 – 2006 and 2007 – 2009 were also attached to back the petition.

The government said upon receipt of the figures declared by the NPC, the Ministry of Justice immediately went into a detailed study and preparation spanning a period of five months to challenge the veracity of the declared figure.

"It is against this backdrop that affected local government areas, through their respective chairmen and traditional rulers and other community leaders, who had also been inundated with complaints by residents within their communities relating to the failure and/or improper conduct of the census in their communities within the State filed petitions before the Census Tribunal Zone C, Abuja on the 4th of June 2009," the government said.

[b]The government is pleading with the tribunal to declare the results declared by NPC void, compel the NPC to release Post Enumeration Survey (PES) with regards to the respective Local Government Areas and the State as well and order for a recount.

One of the grounds on which the petitions filed challenges the declared results, the Government said, is that the respondents did not create adequate enumeration areas and/or make provision for adequate enumeration in the Enumeration Areas (EAs) created commensurate with the population density of many areas within the state.

"The few Enumeration Areas available were ill-equipped and/or ill-prepared for the exercise as a result of which thousands of Lagosians were not counted in the respective LGAs," the government said, pointing out that the fact of the inadequate enumeration materials and non-payment of enumeration staff was a matter of public knowledge just as the record affecting the 2006 census in the LGAs and Lagos State generally.

"Several complaints were received from many residents within the various Local Government/Local Council Development areas that the Respondents’ Enumerators did not get to their respective localities at all, as a result of which they were not counted", it said.

Other grounds for the petition, according to the Government, include that the Census figures released for the Complainant LGAs did not take cognizance of the peculiar and known facts and situations which affect the population dynamics of Lagos State and its Local Government Areas. [/b]

"This explains why, despite the high number of people migrating into the State on a daily basis, the NPC declared a higher population figure for another State in the Federation whose population dynamics is nowhere near Lagos", it said, adding that no consideration was given to national and international reports released during the period classifying Lagos as megalopolis with a population in the region of 17 million people.

The Government said it will be calling local and international demographic consultants as witnesses in the course of the case adding that although it has not received a Hearing Notice for the hearing of the petitions at the Census Tribunal, there are indications that the inaugural sitting of the Tribunal may hold on July 21, 2009.

In the petition which they filed against NPC, the complainants comprising, HRH Oba Moroof Adekunle Ojoola (Ojon of Ejigboland), Chairman, Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area and Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area, asserted that the census exercise was not properly conducted in the area as many residents were not counted while they described the entire exercise in Lagos State as inaccurate, anomalous and unsustainable.


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What is Lagos State's real population 9.2 million the NPC claims or 17 million Lagos and International community believe? Who know the state Lagos State is talking about? Pls be aware that the population of a state helps in determining the federal government allocation and excess crude amount the state receives