The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has appraised efforts of the National Population Commission towards conducting the first digital population and housing census in Nigeria.
Mohammed while speaking on Tuesday in Abuja during a one-day capacity building workshop for members of the National Census Publicity Committee in preparation for the exercise, expressed optimism of the federal government and the NPC to deliver a census that will meet international standards.
Represented by the Director-General National Orientation Agency (NOA) Dr. Garba Abari, Mohammed described population census as a people-oriented activity that must inform, sensitize and educate all persons resident in Nigeria.
He noted that a consistent and aggressive publicity is needed at the grassroot to enable a well informed citizenry, stressing that it is not enough for the people to be counted, they must understand why, when, where and how they will be counted in order to secure their cooperation in the conduct of this exercise.
“The federal government notes with satisfaction and recommendation the efforts of the National Population Commission to positively rewrite the history of census in Nigeria through the conduct of the first digital census in the country that will meet international standards.
“The federal government is indeed satisfied with the commitment, hard work and relentless effort of the NPC to conduct a transformative and digital census,” he said.
The Minister lauded the conduct of the workshop which aim was to provide participants with the necessary information on the conduct of the 2023 census and to facilitate effective discharge of their public enlightenment roles in the census national assignment.
“Population census is a people-oriented activity that must inform, sensitize and educate all persons resident in Nigeria. Consistent and aggressive grassroot publicity is required in order to reach the people. It is not just enough for the people to be counted, they must understand why, when, where and how they will be counted in order to secure their cooperation in the conduct of this exercise.
“This is where the role of the National Census Publicity Committee comes in to undertake advocacy basics with key stakeholders at all levels of government to solicit support and mobilize resources for the successful conduct of the 2023 population and housing census” he added.
In his address, the NPC Chairman, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, said the Commission will be relying on the Committee’s expertise and structures to drive the message into every home and household to drum up support and participation in the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
According to him, “The job before this Committee is phenomenal, this is in consideration of the need to inform, educate and enlighten Nigerians on the scope of the census which will involve the counting of every person resident in Nigeria and that it will take place simultaneously in every household in the country.
“Given this scenario and the fact that the date for the census is very close, time is not on our side, as such, targeted advocacy and sustained publicity and enlightenment is very imperative to the successful conduct of the Census exercise.
“Therefore, the convening of this training workshop for the National Census Publicity Committee is critical and it underscores the determination and commitment of the Commission to conduct a successful census in 2023 by updating the members of the committee on the process and methodology of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
In addition, the Committee should be rest assured of the Commission’s continuous support for it to deliver on this very important national assignment”.
In his remarks, the National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ) Chris Isiguzo, urged the committee who are media professionals on adequate punlic enlightenment, while stressing the need for the media to uphold its strategic role in handling the upcoming exercise.