The northern chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have threatened that it would mobilise Christians to boycott the national census if the religion and ethnicity categories are not placed on questionnaires.
At a press conference in Kaduna in northern Nigeria, where there have been clashes between Muslims and Christians, the northern CAN secretary said that the national CAN had already endorsed the position.
With the religion category included, the Christians there could be counted, said secretary, Elder Saidu Dogo.
He said the CAN insists on knowing the "true position of the number of adherents of the different religions in Nigeria, as it is done all over the world."
He said that the ethnicity category was also important because it is also a "fact that Nigerians residing in states other than their states of origin are discriminated against."
He stated that the Christian community needed that information to help establish schools and hospitals.
"The statistics will go a long way in assisting us make the proper projections," he added.
Francis Helguero
Ecumenical Press
