Computer-based Census Management System; A Case Study of National Population Commission (NPC)
Chapter One
Objectives of the Study
The objectives of this study are summarized as follows:
- To develop computerized software that automatically stores and retrieves all information on human
- To develop a reliable system that could be used in collecting data/information on human population.
- To develop a system that will support direct access to the specific and required information
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
According to Oxford Advance Learner‟s Dictionary of the contemporary English, census may be defined as the process of officially counting something, especially a country‟s population and recording various facts. Population is the major concern in the census conduct. More so, the Government of these days seems to realize that they cannot function well without the knowledge, at least to some degree of accuracy, of the nation‟s population figure. Knowing the population figure means more than what the statement conveys. For instance, J.G. Ottong (1983) spoke of population thus;
“In the contemporary society, population has become an important issue of concern. This is because population, in terms of its size and composition, has far-reaching implications for change, development and the quality of life in society”.
The primary objective of the census results is to assist the country in knowing as accurately and reliably as is possible within the constraints the population size, its composition and distribution. The population figures and characteristic arising out of census help the country to meet its developmental, administrative and political needs and provide inputs while planning for improving the quality of life of our countrymen.
According to the National Bereau of Statistics, NBS, (2009) over the years, increasing interest is being focused on the better measurement of social goals and in assessing the impact of economic growth and distribution of resources across the three tiers of government: the economic and social growth of a nation may be determined by its demographic variables such as the structure of the population.
The population of a nation alongside with its demographic variables is very crucial in the nation‟s improvement and development. Developing countries like Nigeria can boast of their good administration without periodic censuses taking every ten years.
These censuses must be free of fraudulent practices so as to have accurate figures that represent the nation‟s image in all aspect.
History of census in Nigeria
Although numerous estimates of the Nigerian population were made during the colonial period, the first attempt at a nationwide census was during 1952-53. This attempt yielded a total population figure of 31.6 million within the current boundaries of the country. This census has usually been considered an undercount for a number of reasons: apprehension that the census was related to tax collection; political tension at the time in eastern Nigeria; logistical difficulties in reaching many remote areas; and inadequate training of enumerators in some areas. The extent of undercounting has been estimated at 10 percent or less, although accuracy probably varied among the regions. Despite its difficulties, the 1952-53 censuses have generally been seen as less problematic than any of its successors.
Subsequent attempts to conduct a reliable post independence census have been mired in controversy, and only one was officially accepted. The first attempt, in mid-1962, was canceled after much controversy and allegations of over-counting in many areas. A second attempt in 1963, which was officially accepted, also was encumbered with charges of inaccuracy and manipulation for regional and local political purposes. Indeed, the official 1963 figure of 55.6 million as total national population is inconsistent with the census of a decade earlier because it implies a virtually impossible annual growth rate of 5.8 percent. In addition to likely inflation of the aggregate figure, significant intraregional anomalies emerge from a close comparison of the 1953 and 1963 figures. In portions of the southeast, for example, the two sets of data imply that some nonurban local government areas (LGAs) had increased at a rate of almost 13 percent per year, while other neighboring areas experienced a minute growth rate of 0.5 percent per year. Despite the controversy, the results of the 1963 census were eventually accepted.
After the civil war of 1967-70, an attempt was made to hold a census in 1973, but the results were canceled in the face of repeated controversy. No subsequent nationwide census had been held as of 1990, although there have been various attempts to derive population estimates at a state or local level. Most official national population estimates are based on projections from the 1963 census.
The great improvements in transport and accessibility of most areas, in technological capability, and in the level of education throughout the country, as well as the generalized acceptance of national coherence and legitimacy, favored the success of the fall 1991 census. It was to be conducted in about 250,000 enumeration areas by the National Population Commission, with offices in each of the country’s LGAs. To reduce possible controversy, religious and ethnic identification would be excluded from the census forms, and verification of state results would be handled by supervisors from outside the state. Some analysts believe that the effort to carry out a reliable census with perceived legitimacy might become an unexpectedly positive exercise, reinforcing a sense of shared nationhood and providing a model for the attempt to overcome regional and ethnic differences. Provisional results of the 2006 census in Nigeria show that Kano in the north is Nigeria’s most populous state (9.4 million), followed by Lagos (9.0 million) in the south. Northern states account for 75 million people, while the southern states are home to 65 million. The total population was 140 million.
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGIES AND ANALYSIS OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM
Introduction
When analyzing an existing system, note is taken on how the existing system works or the procedures on how jobs and activities are been carried out in the organization. During system analysis, investigation of an existing system in order to understand its operation is carried out for better understanding of the existing system and the introduction of more efficient and economic means of achieving the desired goals is also made.
System analysis is conducted with the following objectives in mind: to identify the client‟s need; to evaluate the system concept for feasibility; to evaluate cost constraints; to proposed allocate functions to hardware and software, and create a system definition that forms the foundation for all subsequent engineering work (Pressman, 1997).
The analysis of the present system was carried out to identify the existing problems affecting the system; this would enable the analyst to validate or invalidate the present system if many weaknesses were found. The analyst would go ahead in designing the system that would replace the existing system that must have been proved unsatisfactory.
Before any meaningful progress could be made in system design, a few numbers of procedures have to be followed in other to guarantee a successful new system. The procedures include the following;
Feasibility study
In order to determine whether or not a given project is feasible, i.e., to determine whether the change can be carried out within reasonable time and the properties to be identified and development of high level model of the proposed system, there must be some form of investigation into the goals and implications of the project. Three areas are considered during this analysis, they include;
CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEM AND IMPLEMENTATION
Introduction
System design can be regarded as the drawing, planning, sketching or arranging of many separate elements into viable unified whole. While the system analysis phase is concerned with the question of what the system is doing and what it should be doing to meet user‟s requirements, the system design phase centers on how the system is developed to meet the requirements.
System design is the task of structuring the system under study, following specifications of the processing requirements such as input, output, and the breaking down of these processing requirements into a program.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
This research has been able to identify that the use of computer-based census management system to carry out census operations would go a long way to help maintain accurate and reliable information. Furthermore, fast-recording of relevant data is another advantage.
The researcher used National Population Commission (NPC) as a case study as that would be a good environment to study the history, evolvement, problems, etc., of the organization.
Moreover, the study of related literature was also carried out where related issues such as the history of census, processes involved in census operation, census information, population growth, population decline, benefits of computer-based census management system, etc., were discussed.
In the same way, analysis of the existing system was done to identify the associated problems. Also solutions to the identified problems were provided and the need to have a computerized system that would take care of the identified problems was discussed.
Nonetheless, analysis of the proposed system was made in which the analysis of how the new system would take care of the problems associated with the old system was done. This is done by the decomposition of the high level model of the proposed system.
Finally, documentation and implementation were affected, and the system requirement, changeover procedure, manual and training of the staff were handled.
Conclusion
The study of the existing system was done. And the new system designed.
The need for the computerization of the organization was highly emphasized as computer could store, update, and retrieve information in a manner that no human agent can do. Computer could always process data and produce accurate and reliable results when given correct data. The use of computer in census operations will solve problems encountered in the manual system. Hence, one could then conclude that the computerization of the Census activities is a welcomed development that must be undertaken as it has as advantages;
The increase in processing speed
Improved storage facilities and easy retrieval
Bridge the gap of transporting data with vehicle through the use of computer network.
Recommendations
The efficiency and effectiveness of using computer to handle census taking has already been identified by the researcher, therefore the researcher recommends;
That the computer based census management system should be adopted in the National Population Commission (NPC).
That the parallel changeover methodology should be adopted as that would give room for the comparison of results.
That the staff of the commission should be thoroughly trained on the use of the software as it would enable them to be competent.
Suggested Areas for Further Research
Of course, this system does not contain everything about census as claiming that would mean fallacy. The system focused on the collection of information and report generation. Hence for the system to improve, we now suggested that;
Other researchers should go into statistical data and include mathematical procedures for basic population calculations and projections.
Other researcher should go into biometric data to include components that will detect fraudulent activities.
Areas of Application
This system will find application in any agency whose primary job was to enumerate human beings of any age bracket. For instance, the Anambra State malaria control department of the Ministry of health enumerates children at infancy and pregnant women.
REFERENCES
- Ashton Tate (1988), Java reference, Aston Tate Corporation publishers, London. Akinyosoye V.O (2009), National Bureau of Statistics: Social Statistics in Nigeria,Federal Republic of Nigeria.
- Chukwudi P.C & Udenze A.J (2005), Computer based Population Projection, Unpublished Project Submitted to Computer Science Department Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
- Fred R. McFadden and Jeffery A. Hoofer (1988), Database management, 2nd edition, The Benjamin‟s/Cumming publishing company Inc, U.S.A.
