News
2023 Census Will Not Canvass Questions On Religious Affiliation —NPC
Joel Ajayi
The National Population Commission (NPC) has revealed that the 2023 census will not canvass questions on religious affiliation.
The Director, Public Affairs of NPC Isiaka Yahaya, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, stated this on Tuesday while debunking a viral WhatsApp audio claiming that the religious affiliation of a person will be canvassed.
According to the statement, our attention has been drawn to an audio tape going viral on the WhatsApp social media platform across the country which stated that the religious affiliations of respondents will be canvassed in the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
“The audio tape calls on Muslims in Nigeria to see the purported canvassing of information on their religious affiliations as a tool to suppress their population figures. It therefore instructed adherents of the Islamic faith to resist any attempt to divide the religion of Islam by refusing to answer any question on their religious affiliations.
“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.
“The decision to exclude religion along with ethnicity from the census questionnaire was taken in due consideration of the sensitive nature of these issues within the Nigerian polity and the need to save the census data from needless controversies and attention.”
The statement further said that a fact check on the origin of the purported message showed that it was first circulated in Ghana during its 2021 population census exercise through a Whatsapp message. “This negative message found its way into the Nigerian social media space in July 2022 when the Commission conducted the Trial Census. The re-circulation of the message in audio form as the Commission sets to conduct the 2023 Population and Housing Census in May 2023 is an indication that some elements are bent on drawing the 2023 Census into unnecessary controversies through propagation of falsehood and incitement of a section of the population to destabilize existing peaceful coexistence in the country.
“The Commission carried out extensive consultation with data users and stakeholders in coming up with the questions to be canvassed in the next census. The overarching goal of the questionnaire is to generate data that will facilitate sustainable development. The questionnaire is robust and include demographic characteristics of respondents and other socio-economic characteristics but without any question whatsoever on religion and ethnicity.
“Members of the general public are therefore enjoined to disregard the rumour of question on religious affiliation contained in the audio tape in circulation and extend maximum cooperation to the enumerators for the sake of delivering a credible, reliable and acceptable 2023 Population and Housing Census data for national development planning.”
News
PSIN Administrator Commends Yobe Government for Championing Leadership Continuity and Institutional Sustainability
Cyril Igele
The Administrator and Chief Executive Officer of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Barrister Imeh Okon, has applauded the Yobe State Government for its strong commitment to leadership continuity and sustainable governance through strategic investment in human capital development.
Barrister Okon gave the commendation at the opening of a Management Retreat for Yobe State Permanent Secretaries, held at the PSIN headquarters in Abuja.
The retreat, themed “Succession Planning, Leadership Continuity, and Institutional Sustainability in the Yobe State Public Service,” convened senior bureaucrats and resource persons to discuss strategies for strengthening leadership and governance within the state’s civil service.
In her remarks, the PSIN Administrator praised Governor Mai Mala Buni for his foresight and partnership in prioritizing public sector training and capacity development. She described the theme of the retreat as both “timely and visionary,” emphasizing that institutions endure only when leadership is continuous, knowledge is shared, and systems—not individuals—drive performance.
“Institutions thrive not merely on structures or policies, but on the deliberate cultivation of capable leaders who can sustain progress across generations,” she said. “By prioritizing leadership continuity and institutional resilience, Yobe State is leading by example.”
Barrister Okon reiterated PSIN’s mandate to build a competent, ethical, and innovative public service capable of delivering tangible results to citizens. She stressed that effective succession planning must be anchored in continuous training, mentorship, and exposure to emerging governance trends.
Citing best practices from Singapore and the United Kingdom, Okon noted that successful public service systems deliberately identify and nurture potential leaders through structured talent pipelines and transparent career development programmes. According to her, Yobe State’s initiative reflects its readiness to sustain excellence in governance.
She also highlighted PSIN’s flagship programmes—SMART-P, which builds administrative and technical capacity; LEAD-P, designed to groom emerging leaders; and the Exit from Service Masterclass, which prepares officers for life after service. Okon urged the Yobe Government to adopt the Exit Masterclass into its human resource framework to ensure a smooth transition for retirees, preserve institutional knowledge, and promote productivity through entrepreneurship and consultancy.
“Succession planning is not an event but a culture that must be institutionalised at every level of public administration,” she added. “When we prepare successors in advance and invest in continuous learning, we guarantee the sustainability of reforms and consistency in governance.”
Declaring the retreat open, the Acting Head of Service of Yobe State, Alhaji Abdullahi Shehu, reaffirmed Governor Buni’s commitment to building a results-driven and high-performing public service.
Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Public Service, Alhaji Shehu, the Acting Head of Service expressed gratitude to God and lauded PSIN as the “mother institution of public service learning.” He stated that Governor Buni has consistently directed the Office of the Head of Service to promote seamless succession planning and capacity building to enhance efficiency and accountability across government institutions.
“In line with this directive, we have brought the top echelon of the state civil service to PSIN—being the drivers and core implementers of government policies and programmes—to strengthen continuity and sustainability in our reforms,” he said.
He urged participants to fully engage in the retreat, share experiences, and cascade the knowledge gained to officers across ministries, departments, and agencies. The exercise, he explained, forms part of a deliberate strategy to institutionalize effective succession planning within the Yobe State Civil Service, thereby ensuring sustained productivity and improved service delivery to citizens.
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