Presentation by Isiaka Yahaya, Ph.D National Population Commission of Nigeria At The Regional Seminar on Census Data Dissemination and Spatial Analysis, Nairobi, 14-17, September 2010

This presentation contains 14 slides Introduction Objectives of the presentation The 2006 Population and Housing Census 2006 Census data dissemination – The journey so far Who are Nigeria’s Census Data Users Identification and Consultations – Conceptual issues How the census data users were identified Consultation with Census Data Users Challenges experienced in identification and consultation with data users Lessons learnt

The objectives of the presentation are to: 1. Examine how the data users were identified and consulted in the 2006 Census Data Dissemination; 2. Consider some issues involved in the identification and consultation with census data users 3. Examine the challenges of census data users’ identification and consultations in Nigeria and; 4. Proffer useful lessons that can be learnt from the identification and consultation of data users in Nigeria

The 2006 Population and Housing Census was conducted from 21 st to 27 th March Nigeria’s attempt at census taking dates back as The 2006 Census is the fifth attempt in independent Nigeria. The exercise was preceded by series of preparatory activities – EAD, Design of Census Instruments, pre-test, trial census, use of OMR/ICR/ OCR questionnaires. Administrative measures designed to enhance the integrity, transparency and accountability of the census process- 37 member board, redeployment of functionaries, and monitoring by international bodies More than eight hundred thousand functionaries collected the data. Enumeration of persons was de facto. Adjudged as the biggest peacetime activity. PES was conducted in June 2006

The provisional result - 29 th December Final figures in September The final figures put Nigeria’s population at 140,431,790. No significant changes between the provisional and final figures Two volumes of the priority tables of the 2006 Census were released in Two national workshops and six zonal workshops in Nigeria’s six geo political zones, publications of priority tables, wall charts, thematic maps and profiles and posting of the census products on the website More volumes to be produced including fact sheets, wall charts and profiles

Like most other countries, Nigeria has a wide array of census data users. These are the ultimate consumers of the census data. They include: The Federal, State and Local Governments, Organized Private Sector Non Governmental Organizations / Civil Society Organizations Development partners Universities, Research Institutes and Professional Bodies Like the customers, their needs, interests and views must determine the process and outcomes of the census exercise including the content and branding of the census products. Broadly speaking, the census data users can be classified as follows: These census data users can be roughly divided into two groups – The census data users that largely require the census data for political purposes The census data users that require the census data for planning purposes, intervention purposes and profitability..

The data users were identified on the basis of the relevance of census data to their respective activities. The process of identifying these core data users took the form of invitation to seminars and workshops and other interactive sessions. The letters of invitation to participate at the workshop is an indication of identification Identification of census data users is the compass for census data dissemination. Distinction between political users of census data and planners and its implication for identification.

The process of identification and consultation with data users in Nigeria started before the exercise was conducted (Data Users workshop in September 2004) Identification of census data users as the compass of census data dissemination Consultation with census data users determine what, how and when census data are to be disseminated The pre-occupation with the political uses of census in Nigeria has affected the scope and patterns of consultation with census data users

The identification of census data users was based on relevance of activities to census data Distinction between fringe and core users (i.e those who are only interested in the absolute figures and users interested in more detailed information) Core users are in the human development sector (Education, health, gender, housing etc) NPC focuses more on the potential core data users The process of identification takes three ways – correspondence, invitation to workshops and forwarding of publications (inclusion on mailing list).

Consultation with Census data users by the Commission was more with potential core data users The process of consultation started before the conduct of the exercise. A Data Users Workshop was convened in Kaduna in 2004 The consultations with data users have taken the following forms: Participation at interactive sessions, seminars and workshops, Participation in audience programmes on Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, (FRCN), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and other media programmes Meeting the customised data requests of users Courtesy calls by some of the data users Advocacy visits by NPC Chairman to some State Governors and National Assembly The listed forms of consultations were more of reaching out to the data users but issues related to data dissemination and utilization featured.

The following are the emerging issues from the consultations with census data users: 1. Request for result at locality level; 2. Request for more specific data types by some data users 3. Issues that border on integrity of the census were raised by some of the census data users 4. Some of the stakeholders called on NPC to enforce or encourage the use of the census data through advocacy and training

The consultation base is very weak and the potentials of the process to enrich the dissemination are not realised. The reasons for this include 1. Excessive pre-occupation of data users with absolute figures 2. Misunderstanding of the census process by data users and dissatisfaction with population figures 3. Low level of statistical literacy, 4. Dearth of expertise in analysis and utilization of census data 5. Inadequate planning culture in the public and private sectors 6. Limitation of funds

Based on the 2006 Census data dissemination, the following lessons were learnt in terms of identification and consultation with census data users: 1. The need to promote more positive public understanding of census and its data and neutralize negative perceptions; 2. Need to aggressively pursue statistical enlightenment and literacy on the part of policy makers in public and private sector and 3. The need to present the census data in a less technical and more user friendly manner

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