Nigeria counts...

Its census week here in Nigeria. Considering that there are at least 120 million people to be counted, it’s a pretty massive undertaking. The exercise lasts from Tues – Sat, and on Fri & Sat we cannot leave our homes between 8am and 4pm. Unlike at home, the census isn’t a matter of distributing forms and collecting them on a specific date. The literacy levels here require that enumerators complete the forms with the family, and the informal nature of much of the accommodation makes the exercise far from straightforward. Despite the government closing the schools and most public offices, a huge proportion of the population live from day to day and cannot forego a day’s work without going hungry. So many people simply can’t stay at home to be counted.
On a political front, the census doesn’t include questions on religion or ethnicity – there is a precarious balance here between north and south, Muslim and Christian, and in the run-up to an election it is not wise to disturb the scales. It will be a huge achievement if the census exercise succeeds.