Census: Avoid These Obstacles

By

Abacha A. Musa

abacha4300@yahoo.com

 

 

As part of the preparations for the earlier slated 2005 population and housing census which now has been restated to be conducted in 2006, the National Population Commission (NPC) has conducted the pre-test of census questionnaire and instruments in the Federal Capital Territory from 22nd to 24th November 2004, and a mock or trial census from 1st to 4th September 2005 in some designated parts of this country.

Even though the NPC has so far been able to test-run for the first the use of the Optical Mark Reader (OMR) forms as a means of canvassing for the census; asses the time required to complete the OMR questionnaire form for each individual and household, asses the usefulness of the just concluded Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) as an effective tool for enumeration; test the perception and awareness of the people towards the forth coming population census; asses the field the operations methodology; asses the time requirement for data capturing using OMR forms and has been able to have the experience of the test run census in the trial census conducted in all the states of the Federation it is nevertheless, pertinent to explore means of tackling some envisaged difficulties and problems that may be encountered during all phases of the exercise in the main population census in March next year having seen and identified many stumbling blocks that are likely to remain significant. Obstacles that can pose serious threats to the smooth conduct of the population census.

Inaccuracies of the past censuses in the country could be attributed to a number of factors. A brief overview of such exercises would help us overcome the pitfalls as preparations for the now 2006 census are well underway. It is therefore imperative for the stakeholder and organizers of population activities in recent times to study the administrative and technical reports of past censuses.

Mr. Joshua Aderemi Adekunle Deputy, Census Department of the NPC has in “NPC News” identified and explained some factors as pitfalls to the activities of housing and population census and therefore should be avoided. These pitfalls include:

Inaccurately carved out Enumeration Areas (EAs) is a factor that can hinder accurate and reliable census. E.As are supposed to be small compact areas that are carved out of localities, cities, towns and villages which are large enough for two enumerators to cover within stipulated census enumeration period. An area that is not well carved out may generate a lot of problems and difficulties in the field. Once this happens, the foundations of such census cannot be solid.

Poor design and administration of census instruments such as the questionnaires, the auxiliary forms and the manuals can bring about a lot of inadequacies in the census exercise. For this reason, intensive training of staff should be undertaken for the development of census instruments. Instruments such as the reference manual for the enumerators and questionnaires to be administered must be made simple and accurately worded complex sentences, double or triple barrel questions and ambiguous terms should be avoided or abridged to ensure accurate and smooth questionnaire implementation.

The topography of some parts of this country makes census exercise difficult. Some areas cannot be reached in two days from the headquarters of local government areas (LGAs). Areas with sand dunes (like the extreme north and some parts of the northeastern part of this country), the rocky mountains especially in Plateau State and some Plateau and rocky parts of the mountainous and highland regions of this country, the rivers in areas, mangrove forest and the swampy zones need adequate logistic support. Various kinds of transport, such as camels, donkeys, speedboats, canoes and cars to be manned by local indigenes who are familiar with the terrain must be provided in advance this would facilitate easy accessibility, minimize obstacles and enable total coverage of the area. In this way, undercounting or a total neglect can be avoided.

The Nigerian constitution makes provision for each state and FCT to be represented on the NPC Board. The representative who are designated Federal Commissioners, and are politicians, serve in their state of origin and attend board meetings in Abuja. Aparts from the state Directors, most of the staff in state offices are virtually indigenes of the state. The fear is that these cadre of officers and commissioners who serve in their state may be easily influenced to temper with census figures. On the other hand, officers who are non-indigenes of the state where they are serving would have independent mind and freedom to take impartial decisions on sensitive issues. Therefore, there is a need for NPC Federal Commissioners to serve in states other than their own. In addition, the constitution should be amended to reduce the number of board membership. At least, a member or two from each of the geopolitical zone of the country would be appropriate.

Although a census exercise is a massive operation that requires a lot personnel, the recruitment of unqualified personnel can mar the exercise. The personnel must be trained, tested and successful in a post trained exercise or test. Such cadre of census functionaries will resist pressures to falsify information and alter census data. In this regard, I have physically observed some discrepancies or unbecoming acts committed by some of the enumeration area demarcators and census conductors during the recently conducted EAD exercise in my area of residence, Old Airport, in Maidugueri, the capital of Borno state. Some of the personnel just carry the instrument that is used to take the measurement of the metric dimension of a particular EA in hand and walk round instead of using the instrument as required. When asked, one of such “short-cut” area demarcators once told me that experienced census personnel could accurately guess the metric dimension of a unit or area of demarcation even without using the instrument. That could acceptable to some extent. But in such an important exercise like the present census which is more of a policy project of the Nigerian, Federal Government and a fundamental step toward the match toward the realization by the Nigerian Government of the UN-set millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015, I don’t think a mere guesswork swill yield any genuine result.

A part from this incident, I myself, was once asked by one EA and census personnel to tell him the number of people living in a home in my neighbourhold that he did not want to instrude people’s residences. I asked him whether he had attempted getting access into the house but was denied he said no, that he just didn’t want to impinge on people’s privacy. I then began telling him their names and he took whatever names I told him (I was sincere to him) including the names of those people that I forget and those that I was in doubt.  He just decided that should improvise names and number for them which we did at that instance. Now, how can Nigeria expert an accurate fair and just figures at the end the whole census exercise with such uncertainties and guess works interpolated into the census exercise?

This brings to broad daylight the fact that cultural and traditional values of our people may sometimes hinder census activities some cultures regard counting of people especially children taboo. Another aspect of our culture is visitors usually welcomed with gifts. In a situation where census official reject gifts from their host, they may said to be unfriendly and arrogant. In other cultural run religions beliefs grown-ups males are not supposed to enter into women in purdah quarters. In the nomadic clans, nobody attends visitors when heads of families and households are not present. In the light of these cultural differences, effective public enlightenment machinery should be mounted to overcome these problems and ensure smooth census operations.

Nigerian elites often exhibit unfriendly attitude towards enumerators during operations. Some of them write boldly on the doors gates and fences of their houses intimidation such as “Beware of Dog!” “Danger Zone, Keep off!” “Military zone” Census officials who are not familiar with such provocative inscription will be scared away thus resulting in a gross undercount of the area.

Census exercise is an experience operation that needs adequate funding. Developing countries cannot finance the exercise alone. Development partners should assist in logistics, training technical expertise, equipment and materials. Funds for census exercise are usually grossly inadequate. Even the release of small amount is always untimely and irregular. These delayed releases and inadequate funding negatively affects census activities such as EAD, development of census instruments, procoverement and distribution of materials and timely payment of census functionaries.

For effective planning for the now-2006 and economic growth of the country, adequate funding and effective public enlightenment campaign programmes should be put in place Nigerians should be sensitized and their minds disabused from the bad experiences they have had with past census in the country. Nigerians, we should support and give maximum co-operation for the smooth conduct of the 2006 census. And finally, this is a clarions call to the National population Commission (NPC): Live up to the expectation of Nigerian, Nigerian government and the United National Population Fund (UNPF) ; avoid taking census for politics as president Obasanjo said, that census taking was not politics and should therefore not be a contest for political supremacy. Now that the trial census has been conducted and the 2005 date earlier stated has been shifted to 2006, NPC should critically and thoroughly observe pitfalls that might have been committed in the trial census and see that proper measures are put in place to address And avoid the recoverance of such unwanted elements in the 2006 census. Nigeria is ours to build, and census is ours to support and co-operate with.

Abacha A. Musa

Dept. of Mass Comm.

University of Maiduguri