Nigeria's population reaches 190 million inhabitants

ABUJA, July 10
(Xinhua / GNA) – The population of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa
the population has reached about 190 million people, a figure that cancels the previous
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

National Chief
Population Commission (NPC), Ghaji Ismail, said at a press conference Tuesday at
Abuja that he arrived at the last digit based on the available data.

In April, UNFPA
said the population of Nigeria had reached 201 million.

Ismail, however, said:
that the figure provided by UNFPA was "based on badumptions".

"You must use
models to arrive at the numbers you project. The margin of error is very
small, "the official noted.

The NPC was
put in place by the government to maintain a continuous monitoring mechanism
universal registration of births and deaths throughout the country.

It also provides data
on the population to facilitate economic and economic development
Planning.

Ismail said that he was
imperative to conduct another national census of the population as soon as possible.

The last national
census of the population carried out in 2006 and in line with the global strategy of ten years
requirement.

Nigeria should have
held another in 2016.

Population
Head of the Commission stated that steps are being taken to ensure that the national
census of the population is soon carried out, with the aim of having positive implications for
national security.

"For the last
three to four years we are getting ready and there is a process that gives
We very much hope that it will be solved soon, "he added.

According to the data
Previously, the NPC had indicated that the Nigerian population had increased significantly
17.3% in 1967 to 49.4% in 2017.

In addition, the country
population has recorded an annual growth rate of 3.2% since the last
national census in 2006.

The urban population
is growing at an average annual rate of about 6.5%, the official report
the statistics showed.

Last year, the world
Demographic Outlook, Nigeria will become the third most populous country by 2050
populated country in the world.

At that time, 70
Percent of Nigeria's population will reside in cities, according to the
forecast of the global survey.

Have accurate data
about the population of a country is essential in planning because it would be used to
social, economic, political and other needs, noted Eze Duruiheoma, former
head of the NPC, in an earlier statement.

Nigeria is currently
the seventh most populous country in the world.

GNA