Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Kwarra, has denied rumors that the 2023 Population and Housing Census will include questions on religion or religious affiliation. The clarification came after a viral audio message on WhatsApp suggested that such questions would be asked, allegedly to suppress followers of a particular faith.
In a statement, Director of Public Affairs Isiaka Yahaya emphasized that the commission deliberately omitted religion and ethnicity from the questionnaire to avoid needless controversy. “For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission wishes to state unequivocally that the 2023 Population and Housing Census will not canvass questions on religion and religious affiliations of respondents,” he said. The decision reflects the sensitive nature of these issues in Nigeria and the need to keep census data free from controversy.
Yahaya also identified the audio message as fake, tracing its origin to Ghana, where it first circulated during the 2021 Ghanaian census. The misinformation entered Nigerian social media in July 2022 during the trial census and resurfaced in audio form as the 2023 Census approached in May 2023. He warned that such falsehoods aim to create unnecessary controversy and destabilize the country’s peaceful coexistence.
The commission assures that the questionnaire is robust, covering demographic and socio‑economic characteristics but excluding any items on religion or ethnicity. Extensive consultations with data users and stakeholders informed the final set of questions, with the overarching goal of generating data to support sustainable development.
Yahaya urged the public to disregard the rumor and to cooperate fully with enumerators, ensuring that the 2023 Population and Housing Census yields credible, reliable, and useful data for national development planning.
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