Nigeria lacks accurate population figure – Mark

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Senate President, David Mark, yesterday said Nigeria lacks accurate population figure, even as he charged new appointees into the National Population Commission (NPC) to work hard to give Nigerians a reliable, verifiable and accurate census figure.

Speaking shortly after the Senate confirmed the appointment of Hassan Bashir and Emmanuel Fayemi as members of the National Population Commission (NPC), Mark said, “Population is a very serious issue in this country and I believe that they would bring something on board so that we know our true figures.

“Every time we talk about statistics in this country, depending on who you are talking to, we don’t appear to have the accurate figure. I hope that they would help to bring something on board so that we can know our true population in this country”, Mark stated.

Earlier, the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on National Identity Card and National Population, which screened the nominees, Abdulmumin Hassan (Jigawa South-West), informed the Senate that his committee, while screening the nominees for appointment to the NPC, found them worthy in all ramifications, asking his colleagues to approve their appointment.

President Goodluck Jonathan had, in a letter to the Senate, requested the lawmakers to approve the appointment of the above mentioned persons respectively into the National Population Commission (NPC), so as not to allow any vacuum in the various offices they were nominated to fill.