The National Population Commission (NPC) has said the country’s population has risen from the 140,431,790 it was five years ago when the last national headcount was taken, to 167,912,561 as at yesterday. This represents an annual population growth rate of 5.6 million people.

Chairman of NPC, Samu'ila Danko Makama, who made the disclosure at a valedictory press briefing of the board of the commission in Abuja, said of this figure, 82,098,001 are females, while males account for 85,814,560.

He also said given the agency’s new projection of the country’s population growth with an assessment of 3.2 per cent rate, “the same rate the NPC used in 1991 and 2006”, Nigeria’s population would hit 221,392,163 by July 1, 2020.

Makama said: “This means that Nigeria contributes 2.4 per cent of the seven billion people which the world population would hit on October 31, 2011.”

Giving account of the money spent on the 2006 population census, he said, of the N37 billion which was expended on the exercise, 48 per cent was provided by the European Union (EU), while the remainder of 52 per cent was provided by the Federal Government.

Speaking on the implication of the population growth of Nigeria, Makama said it was imperative that the necessary framework be put in place by the NPC and other stakeholders to accommodate the rate.

He particularly cautioned that the population explosion could lead to a higher rate of unemployment and poverty among Nigerians.

“It is necessary that we start to space our children. Yes, children are provided by God, but we also have to plan for them,” he said.

Lauding the 2006 census exercise, Makama said many African countries were currently utilising the experience of some of the NPC officials to conduct their demographic survey.

“The 2006 census was the biggest statistical exercise in Africa, and the eight biggest in the world. It was acclaimed by local and foreign bodies as credible and one of the best the country ever had. But because some people always choose to have predetermined minds on population issues, it was criticised by some Nigerians,” he added.

He noted that one of the major challenges faced by the commission was the issue of funding, while conceding that there had been improvement in recent years.

The commission now has 2,733 registration centres across the country with at least three in every local government area, he said.

Makama and 20 of the federal commissioners’ tenure would end on October 31, this year.






THISDAY

5.6 Million in 5 years

i tell ya
i wonder if Nigeria still practice safe sex or family planning

It would be interesting to know how much that increase has affected the amount of food we import, as well as the cost of that increase to the nation in that period.

Its not true. They didn't do their statistics well. We are upto 180M

In a country where the record still stands at more than 70% very poor, the fertility rate is recorded at average of about 5.1 per woman. Na wa ooo!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_by_fertility_rate

Kobojunkie:

In a country where the record still stands at more than 70% very poor, the fertility rate is recorded at average of about 5.1 per woman. Na wa ooo!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sovereign_states_and_dependent_territories_by_fertility_rate

So what?

Na dem turn you to lakiriboto?

Madam, mind your bushiness

O my goodness, where are we taking this to.Nigeria is in a deplorable state - talking about financial crisis.I just can't imagine what Nigerian population is going to be like in the next 20years. No adequate infrastructure and no job opportunities and yet there is constant increase in population in geometric order, this is a pity or what do you think?

too many people

maybe its gonna turnout good for the country 
somehow when there will be more frustrated youths on the street then there will be more balls to question this poli-thieves

More like more hungry, unemployed Youths on the street.
Something for politicians to use as tools. i.e boko harams

We will turn into another India. Yippeee!

can the politician keep up to the demand? (there will be more demand as the population grows) i doubt!

i smell revolution, years from now

Toaskarity:

maybe its gonna turnout good for the country 
somehow when there will be more frustrated youths on the street then there will be more balls to question this poli-thieves

You mean in much the same way it worked out in the last 5 years? Some of those same balls instead took out their frustrations on the population and helped increase the #s by over 5 million in just 5 years. Is that the sort of revolution you are hinting at? I mean what does NUMBERS in this sense have to do with revolution? How come less than 6 million were needed to topple Ghaddafi , but you suggest that over 170 million will be needed to topple corrupt leaders, most of whom are tired old men, in Nigeria?  

Kobojunkie:

You mean in much the same way it worked out in the last 5 years? Some of those same balls instead took out their frustrations on the population and helped increase the #s by over 5 million in just 5 years. Is that the sort of revolution you are hinting at? I mean what does NUMBERS in this sense have to do with revolution? How come less than 6 million were needed to topple Ghaddafi , but you suggest that over 170 million will be needed to topple corrupt leaders, most of whom are tired old men, in Nigeria?  

WORD

Kobojunkie:

You mean in much the same way it worked out in the last 5 years? Some of those same balls instead took out their frustrations on the population and helped increase the #s by over 5 million in just 5 years. Is that the sort of revolution you are hinting at? I mean what does NUMBERS in this sense have to do with revolution? How come less than 6 million were needed to topple Ghaddafi , but you suggest that over 170 million will be needed to topple corrupt leaders, most of whom are tired old men, in Nigeria?

i think im only seeing it from one side which probably may happen,
when there will be more frustrated youths

the politicians can only shut few mouths in such population,whereelse enough peep will be out for there own share but wont get any. what happens next?
ofcourse they wont have any other option than to fight the common enemy

Increasing the population affects us, the people, not those who are in government. When you have more mouths sharing the limited resources, we suffer. Not them. Having more kids will FRUSTRATE US, not those in leadership. Matter of fact, look at the case in places like Congo, Sudan, Somalia, etc. How much has their 7 kids on average helped their situation? NOT AT ALL. Millions have died like sand over the years, millions more are being born, yet the problems faced do not seem to be ending anytime soon. We are speaking of innocent souls here . . . why bring them in to the quagmire we have created for ourselves? Why are they the ones to fight this?

He also said given the agency’s new projection of the country’s population growth with an assessment of 3.2 per cent rate, “the same rate the NPC used in 1991 and 2006”, Nigeria’s population would hit 221,392,163 by July 1, 2020.

Makama said: “This means that Nigeria contributes 2.4 per cent of the seven billion people which the world population would hit on October 31, 2011.”

Hmmm

The funny thing is that there are Nigerians who still don't see this as a problem. Everyone believes they've been ordained by God to have as many kid as they think they can raise. How can you possibly convince someone that it's not in the best interest of the country for them to pump out so many kids when all the average Nigerian can think about is what is in his own short-term self-interest, everything else be damned?

A two-child per woman policy is necessary. There's no happy way to implement this. Encourage women to undergo permanent contraception after two kids, and steeply penalize families who have more than two children. Failure to aggressively attack this overpopulation problem will usher in a future that is far more distasteful than what we have now.

it is well:

Its not true. They didn't do their statistics well. We are upto 180M

Can't be proven but I tend to agree that Nigeria's population is highly like to be more than the figure given here. When officially they say Lagos has 9 million inhabitants and we all know it is likely to be circa 15 million, then we can only guess what the overall figure is.

The thing is Nigeria census count is all political to get more location and win election,the problem is that politicians will use these as a tool to get there,poor families living in a very bad conditions you see them breeding 10/12 per family and their father is an okada man or gate-man,their is no family planing in  place all na for mouth,that is why their is so many bastards in Nigeria walking around,

some end up participating in evil crimes just to survive,some of those kids will have to fine a way to feed his or her sibling plus parents too,and the ignorance is still there, and no one is educating them,

a lot of things need to be done for things to change,

The negative impact of population increase is currently being faced in almost all the northern states where nomadic Fulani roam about with their cattle in search of greener pastures and water. Most of the routes and green fields used by the Fulani for decades have steadily being colonized by the Hausa and other indigenous people for farming and housing, and thus resulting in incessant inter tribal clashes between the Fulani and other Northern Nigeria ethnic groups.

More worrying, are the inter community crises in some Northern states on ownership of land and drinking water sources that are gradually spreading and becoming more common. These crises mostly go about unreported because they are not the classical-large scale religious fight that erupt between Christains and Muslims in northern Nigeria.

Conversation with many Yoruba and Igbo resident in Northern Nigeria, highlights the challenge posed by population growth in the southern Nigeria. Despite the recurring religious crises, these folks moves in droves in search of cheaper and spacious housing.

ak47mann:

[b]The thing is Nigeria census count is all political to get more location and win election,[/b]the problem is that politicians will use these as a tool to get there,poor families living in a very bad conditions you see them breeding 10/12 per family and their father is an okada man or gate-man,their is no family planing in  place all na for mouth,that is why their is so many bastards in Nigeria walking around,

some end up participating in evil crimes just to survive,some of those kids will have to fine a way to feed his or her sibling plus parents too,and the ignorance is still there, and no one is educating them,

a lot of things need to be done for things to change,

True. Comical that Kano is "officially" the most populous Nigerian State at 9.3 million while Lagos is next at 9.01 million. Such deception may serve the purpose of some in the short term but ends up harming Nigeria badly overall considering how accurate censors are powerful tools that assist vital forecasting and planning.

Gbawe:

True. Comical that Kano is "officially" the most populous Nigerian State at 9.3 million while Lagos is next at 9.01 million. Such deception may serve the purpose of some in the short term but ends up harming [b]Nigeria badly overall considering how accurate censors are powerful tools that assist vital forecasting and planning.[/b]

Gbawe:

True. Comical that Kano is "officially" the most populous Nigerian State at 9.3 million while Lagos is next at 9.01 million. Such deception may serve the purpose of some in the short term but ends up harming Nigeria badly overall considering how accurate censors are powerful tools that assist vital forecasting and planning.

This is one of the reason why sometimes it is annoying discussing Nigerian fundamental problems. There are only few official statistics or data sources that one could rely trust. Having witnessed how the previous census was conducted, there is no way I will ever believe in the data.

however, whatever the real figure is, one do not need the census figure to tell us that our population is growing out of control. And it is important that we do our own part in educating other Nigerians about the importance of having fewer kids. Personally I have started doing that about 4 years now in my town, and many people are gradually becoming aware this, and are also helping to pass the message

Heh. Kano most populous state, lol.

This is unsustainable, we need to act drasticlally.

Nigeria's population will be her biggest challenge going forward in this decade. So many destitute and uneducated. IN a recent road trip i witnessed a lot of such people especially in the zamfara and sokoto axis down to katsina and kano. And i heard it's far worse in the North east with Yobe being the worst hit. And you wonder how boko Haram thrives ?

.

We need a more scientific method of counting, better stats of children being born, pple dying, those migrating etc. At the centre of this there shld be a computerized national database of all her citizens.
Population info holds the key in Nigeria wealth-sharing/planning and it is only normal we get it right.
We really av a long way to go especially the in computerized database part.

sheyguy:

We need a more scientific method of counting, better stats of children being born, pple dying, those migrating etc. At the centre of this there shld be a computerized national database of all her citizens.
Population info holds the key in Nigeria wealth-sharing/planning and it is only normal we get it right.
We really av a long way to go especially the in computerized database part.

Indeed. We have gone biometric via Passports issued today but that is not really helpful because most Nigerians will not get a Passport. Wey dem they go? we cant lazily piggyback off collations for elections or GSM registration because many abstain and, essentially, it is adult registration that is captured i.e a specific group.

The only option is to conduct a sincere general census, get the official population statistics right to begin with and then ensure accurate record keeping from then on. I followed the 2006 census under OBJ and was very disappointed he sanctioned the cheating of Lagos like that simply to satisfy his Northern paymasters. That OBJ sha!!! Millions of Lagosians immediately disenfranchised.

The problem is that everything is used to cynically 419 the nation so that some derive undeserved pecuniary advantages to the detriment of Nigerians. It is the same with fuel subsidy. If one observes Nigeria long enough, it will not be hard to discern that leadership of honesty and integrity, to inspire others, is simply what we need more than anything else . For example, we need a President who will come in and insist all States be counted , come what may, truthfully rather than a "business as usual" President ready to maintain old lies borne of deception via going along with the status quo so that nothing is allowed to rock the boat of the AGIPs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nigerian_states_by_population

The following table presents a listing of Nigeria's 36 states ranked in order of their total population based on preliminary 2006 Census figures.[1]
Rank State Population
1 Kano State 9,383,682
2 Lagos State 9,013,534
3 Kaduna State 6,066,562
4 Katsina State 5,792,578
5 Oyo State 5,591,589
6 Rivers State 5,185,400
7 Bauchi State 4,676,465
8 Jigawa State 4,348,649
9 Benue State 4,219,244
10 Anambra State 4,182,032
11 Borno State 4,151,193
12 Delta State 4,098,391
13 Imo State 3,934,899
14 Niger State 3,950,249
15 Akwa Ibom State 3,920,208
16 Ogun State 3,728,098
17 Sokoto State 3,696,999
18 Ondo State 3,441,024
19 Osun State 3,423,535
20 Kogi State 3,278,487
21 Zamfara State 3,259,846
22 Enugu State 3,257,298
23 Kebbi State 3,238,628
24 Edo State 3,218,332
25 Plateau State 3,178,712
26 Adamawa State 3,168,101
27 Cross River State 2,888,966
28 Abia State 2,833,999
29 Ekiti State 2,384,212
30 Kwara State 2,371,089
31 Gombe State 2,353,879
32 Yobe State 2,321,591
33 Taraba State 2,300,736
34 Ebonyi State 2,173,501
35 Nasarawa State 1,863,275
36 Bayelsa State 1,703,358
- Abuja Federal Capital Territory 1,405,201

@Gbawe, we need to get accurate censor results first, but there are so many factor that will work against it like u pointed out, one u didnt mention yet is that of religious manipulation.
We have cases of Hausa/Fulanis refusing to release their women for counting because islam does not allow their to expose themselves to the world, so they remain inside while the censor officials are forced to rely on the words of the men.

Also we have cases of shortage/excess of materials in diff parts of the country.
To make things worse we av just launched satelites that can't be utilised for tracking of population movement and our borders are wide open.
Any populatn censor anytime soon will likely tow the path of previous ones.

sheyguy:

@Gbawe, we need to get accurate censor results first, but there are so many factor that will work against it like u pointed out, one u didnt mention yet is that of religious manipulation.
We have cases of Hausa/Fulanis refusing to release their women for counting because islam does not allow their to expose themselves to the world, so they remain inside while the censor officials are forced to rely on the words of the men.

Also we have cases of shortage/excess of materials in diff parts of the country.
To make things worse we av just launched satelites that can't be utilised for tracking of population movement and our borders are wide open.
Any populatn censor anytime soon will likely tow the path of previous ones.

Sadly, that is my position also. Not much has changed since 2006 , as far as the primary motivation of those who control the census exercise, for anyone to think things will be different now.