NATIONAL CENSUS POLICY: A BENCHMARK FOR PEACE, SECURITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA
Census exercise is designed upon the conviction that clear-cut population data, lies in its heart the roadmap that enables good planning, precise execution and defined sustainable development of any nation. Having not been able to fulfill these purposes, most of the past studies on census in Nigeria have been dedicated to prospects, challenges, housing units and politics behind the falsification of census figures. Shockingly, none have really espoused how census could be imperative for trivet of peace, security and development of the nation. However, as a point of divergent departure from the recurrent focus on census and contentious debate enveloping the population of the nation, the paper examines the indices census has on the peace, security and development of the country. The cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study using the proportionate stratified sampling techniques in the selection of 270 respondents that cut across three towns: Ado, Ikere and Ikole representing each senatorial district of Ekiti State. A structured questionnaire served as the instrument for data collection. Content analysis was used for the qualitative data. Findings revealed that there are mixed perceptions about the functionality of census cum panacea for tackling security challenges and planning for development in the country. The study recommends strict adherence to the standard decennial census exercise to ensure enhanced peace, security and development of the nation.
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