EVALUATION OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA OF KEBBI STATE NORTH- WEST NIGERIA USING THE NIGERIAN CENSUS

Abstract

In most of the censuses conducted in different countries reports on age are subject to errors arising from a variety of causes. These include deliberate misstatement, tendency to report ages ending in certain preferred digits and to avoid others, exaggeration of age at older ages, carelessness in reporting, ignorance of correct age, fear, superstition, anticipation of benefits of unfavourable end points, ignorance of date of birth, lead to the poor age estimation. However, this study aimed at using the age-sex data from 2006 Nigeria population census, where the result shows poor in data quality as a result of age misreporting and age heaping. More female are affected with age heaping and lack of educational background in all levels of education attainment. Finally, female population out number that of male in the state. There is a tendency of age heaping with terminal digits ‘0’ and ‘5’ indicating preference for such ages, therefore people with terminal digit 7 and 8 are more reliable.