Nigeria is attempting its first population count in 15 years, amid a boycott by separatists, violence and diverse logistical problems faced by 1 million census takers.

Previous attempts to count Africa's most populous nation -- home to as many as 160 million people -- failed as various factions schemed to control political power and oil money.

Still, it's said that 1 in 5 Africans come from Nigeria, which is certainly among the top-ten most populous nations in the world, covering territory equivalent to that of California.

A census jingle asks Nigerians: "How can we make our country a great place when we don't know how many we really are? For a better Nigeria, for a better Nigeria, the answer is a national census..."

President Olusegun Obasanjo is taking pains to assure his constituents there is no hidden agenda behind the 2006 census, which comes as his supporters campaign for a constitutional amendment to allow him to stand for a third term next year.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.