The Indigenous People of Biafra have called on Igbo living outside the South‑East to return home and be counted in the 2023 census. In a statement on Wednesday, IPOB’s Director of Media and Publicity, Emma Powerful, said that it is essential for the Igbo to be accurately counted this year in order to determine their true population size and demonstrate to the world that they are not merely “a dot in a circle.”
The National Population Commission has announced measures to prevent malpractice ahead of the upcoming population and housing census. It emphasized that citizens residing outside their states of origin do not need to travel home for the exercise; they will be enumerated at their current places of residence.
Powerful explained that the census presents an opportunity for the Igbo to assess both their population and the level of amenities required in their territory. “The mass return of our people during this forthcoming population census will help us quantify the number of Biafrans in Nigeria. We must seize the opportunity the Nigerian government is offering to our benefit. They have long portrayed us as a negligible dot; now is the time to show the world the true population of Biafrans as the Biafra agitation gains international attention.”
He urged those unable to travel to Biafra land to ensure that neither they nor their family members are counted elsewhere, stating, “We must prove them wrong once and for all.” To facilitate travel, IPOB will engage transport owners so that willing individuals can journey to the East for enumeration.
Finally, Powerful called on Igbo businessmen, entrepreneurs, senators, ministers, commissioners, and House of Assembly members from the Eastern states to contribute in any way possible to ensure that the people return home for the census exercise.
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