Ahead of the 2023 census, the National Population Commission (NPC) has assured that questions surrounding religion and ethnicity of citizens will not be asked.
The NPC gave the assurance on Friday, saying that questions on religion and ethnicity are sensitive and have never been asked since the exercise started in 1991 as they would only be a distraction from the main goal.
The population agency made the clarification when the National Publicity Committee on the 2023 Population and Housing Census paid an advocacy visit to the Nigerian Television Authority in Kano.
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The delegation was led by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari.
According to Abari, the clarification became necessary in the wake of the several speculations on social media on potential questions that would be asked during the exercise.
A member of the committee, Dr Isiaka Yahaya, also stressed that the NOC was not interested in the faith and ethnic affiliation of citizens.
It said;
“Since 1991, when the National Population Commission, NPC, has been conducting the census, we have never asked questions on ethnicity and religion.
“We didn’t do it in 1991, we didn’t do it in 2006 and we won’t do it now.
“The reason is obvious. The two issues are very sensitive and have the capacity to divert attention from the main issue of the census,” he noted.
