ABUJA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's population has recorded an annual growth rate of 3.2 percent since the last national census in 2006, an official said on Thursday.
Eze Duruiheoma, head of the National Population Commission, told reporters in Abuja that the country's estimated figure of 198 million population was based on this growth.
"Irrespective of what anyone thinks about deaths, there is always more births than deaths and that is why the 3.2 annual growth rate is used in arriving at the current population figure," Duruiheoma explained, saying, therefore Nigeria's population of nearly 200 million "was not just concocted."
Nigerian authorities announced on April 10 that its population had risen to over 198 million with an urban population growing at an average annual rate of about 6.5 percent.
The category of the population mostly engaged in urbanization and migration were adolescents, women of childbearing age and the working age population, according to an official statement.
Duruiheoma said the most important thing for the country now is to conduct another census to ascertain its actual population.
According to him, the national census would help Nigeria to do away with the projected figure and enable the African most populous country in its national planning.
"Having accurate data about a country's population is essential in planning, as it would be used for social, economic, political and other needs," he added.
A recent World Population Prospects predicted that by 2050, Nigeria will become the third most populated country in the world.
Nigeria is currently the seventh most populous country in the world.
The west African country has scheduled a national population census this year to ascertain its population.
