Census to hold March 29 – April 2
-Says non-Nigerians’ll be counted
—-Commission to deploy technology for swift
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Abuja
As the National Population Commission, NPC, makes final preparations for the conduct of the 2023 population census, Chairman of the Commission, Nasir Isa Kwarra, has assured of a credible exercise that cannot be manipulated.
The Chairman also said the
census will hold from March 29 to April 1, 2023.
He said that a portal has been opened for young Nigerians to apply as ad-hoc staff and that it has started training for the facilitators.
According to him, recruitment of the ad-hoc staff is local based as they are to be recruited from the localities they reside and carryout their livelihood.
The NPC Chairman, who briefed State House correspondents after having an audience with the President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the exercise will be different from the previous ones marred by controversies as it will be conducted with high end technology.
He said the Commission will make use of Global Positioning System (GPS) and satellite images, noting that every building in the country has already been coded for the purpose.
Kwarra said the demarcation of enumerations areas has been completed, affirming that the exercise proper will take place between in late March and early April.
Speaking against the worrisome security situation in parts of the country, he hoped that the exercise can be conducted smoothly in the areas affected.
“By March 29 to April 2, our staff will be in the field enumerating people,” said Kwarra.
He said the technological tools to be deployed will be able to code building and landmass, detailing information such as location, landscapes, etc.
He also noted that non-Nigerians will be counted so long as they are in the country at the time of the exercise.
In the 2023 Appropriation Act, the Federal Government earmarked N40 billion for the National Population.
A total of N10 million was allocated for the national population and housing census, while the national population data bank, Nigerian population database management system geo-portal hosting of population website and web portal got N50 million.
According to the document, the conduct of census in schools and the training of advocates staff for data collection and interviewing techniques will gulp N60 million
More so, the expansion of registration centres and registration of birth and death, adhoc registration, took N350 million
N25 million was allocated for census research, documentation and archiving (I.e., research on historical events, special population e.g. herdsmen, fishermen, homeless persons, migrant farmers.)
Census publicity and advocacy (I.e. publicity, information, communication, DNA enlightenment for population programmes, through print electronic media.) will gulp N120m.
Other outstanding/miscellaneous activities for the 2023 population and housing census will take N30 billion.
The post 2023 census cannot be manipulated – NPC boss appeared first on Vanguard News.
