De facto or De jure Kinsmen: Proffering an Apposite Technique of Census Enumeration in Nigeria

This paper is borne out of the need to resolve the ever-growing dilemma of census counts in Nigeria. Ever since its independence in 1960, the country has employed and switched between two major methods of census enumeration namely - de jure and de facto, for its census exercises to minimize errors and obtain more dependable data planning and development. The aftermath of each exercise has been marked by allegations based on manipulations by the various sectors. Purposive sampling technique was adopted for the study which targeted societal members knowledgeable about census issues in Nigeria. They include census officials, researchers, academicians and policy makers. What do stakeholders put forward? What measures should be put in place by government to have its citizens become committed to ensuring reliable census results? These and similar issues are what the paper explores and then proposes a more satisfactory approach - which includes consultations at the grassroots among others - that will be agreeable to all and sundry if Nigeria must have accurate population count.