By Ere-ebi Agedah Imisi
Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, DIGC, Dr Paul Enenche, has challenged the Federal Government to conduct a credible national census to establish reliable data on the religious composition of Nigeria.
Enenche made the call on Sunday while reacting to claims by Islamic cleric, Sheikh Yahya Jingir, that Muslims outnumber Christians in Nigeria.
Jingir reportedly made the assertion at a campaign event in Kano State in support of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, where he also advocated Muslim-Muslim tickets in future elections.
Speaking during a sermon at the Dunamis church headquarters in Abuja, Enenche questioned why those claiming numerical superiority had not supported a census that could provide official data on the country’s religious demographics.
“If you think you are superior, why didn’t you people allow for the census all these while?” he asked.
The cleric urged the Federal Government to conduct a “credible census” that would allow Nigerians to declare their religious affiliations, arguing that the outcome could challenge existing assumptions about the religious composition of various parts of the country.
“Let everybody tell you what they believe in, then you will be shocked that where you think you come from, there are Christians almost dominating in that place,” Enenche said.
He also warned against taking Christians and the church for granted, particularly amid concerns over insecurity and other national challenges.
“Nobody should take Christian in this country for granted. Don’t take the church in Nigeria for granted,” he said.
Enenche further criticised individuals he accused of contributing to bloodshed and the destruction of the country, challenging them to demonstrate their contributions to national development.
The debate over Nigeria’s religious demographics comes amid the country’s prolonged failure to conduct a fresh population census. The last national census was held in 2006, while subsequent attempts to conduct another exercise have been repeatedly postponed.
Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had also called for a credible and technology-driven census. In a message posted on his X handle to mark the 2026 World Population Day, Kwankwaso said Nigeria’s reliance on two-decade-old population figures was undermining effective planning and decision-making.
“It is deeply concerning that our nation has not conducted a national population and housing census in two decades. The last exercise, held in 2006, has left us relying on outdated population figures for critical national decisions,” he said.
