The National Population Commission on Monday said the 2016 census would reveal the true statistics of unemployment rate in the country.
Chief Lere Oyewumi, the Federal Commissioner of the NPC in Osun State, disclosed this in Osogbo at a news conference to commemorate the 2015 World Population Day.
Oyewumi said it would be difficult to ascertain the actual figure of unemployed youths and the population in general at present.
He said Nigeria had not been having accurate data from the past census because of rivalry among various states and ethnic groups.
According to him, many Nigerians do not know the usefulness of census.
He said: “We should play down the use of census for revenue sharing.
“This will help us and it will make people to be sincere during enumeration.
“There is competition among states and ethnic groups.
“One state will want everybody to believe that it has more number of people than the other because of revenue sharing.
“This is preventing Nigeria from having accurate census and it is affecting our planning.”
On the readiness of the NPC to conduct the 2016 census, Oyewumi said the Commission was waiting for proclamation from Federal Government.
He said: “We are determined to conduct a very reliable census in 2016 and we will deploy technology and involve knowledgeable people in the academics and everywhere to achieve this.
“What we are waiting for is proclamation from Federal Government to know when the census will take the place next year.”
The NPC boss said there could not be proper development plan by any government if there were no accurate data to guide it on the number of the people and their urgent needs.
The state coordinator of the Commission, Dr. Mike Sangodapo, said the Nigerian population needed management because unchecked population could be a threat to national development.
NAN.