1995 - JAMB Economics Past Questions and Answers - page 5

The ultimate objective of economics is to address the fundamental problem of scarcity. This involves making the best use of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants and needs.

The active intervention of central authorities in a country's economy is usually a response to perceived shortcomings or failures of the market forces. This intervention aims to correct market failures, stabilize the economy, or achieve specific social and economic goals.

The most significant problem in conducting a census is the high rate of rural-urban migration. Here's why:

• Rural-Urban Migration: This constant movement of people makes it difficult to accurately locate and count individuals. It leads to people being missed during the census or counted in multiple places, affecting data accuracy.
• Other options:
  • Poor geographical distribution of the population doesn't directly cause problems conducting the census; it describes how the population is spread.
  • High birth rates impact population size, but they are not a direct obstacle in census taking.
  • Poor town planning affects the logistics of the census in urban areas but it's not the most significant problem.

Here's how to solve this problem:

1. Calculate the number of deaths: The death rate is 5% of the population.

   • Deaths = 5/100 * 480,000 = 24,000

2. Calculate the new population: Subtract the number of deaths from the initial population.

   • New population = 480,000 - 24,000 = 456,000

3. Considering the females: The information regarding the percentage of females is irrelevant to the question. It is included to confuse the test taker.

4. The question is incorrect and is missing the correct answer: The correct option would be calculated as such: