Following the delayed national census initially proposed to be held by early this year, 2023, the Honourable commissioner of National Population Commission, Taraba State, Sani Sule Sani in a press conference addressed the issues behind the delay.
The commissioner noted that the importance of holding this census can not be over emphasised considering that the last national census was conducted in 2006, which was seventeen years ago, that alone leaves the Nigerian government with weak and obsolete data to work with, invariably impacting development at state and local level especially.
He cleared that the postponement was necessitated to consolidate the effort already made through the a pre-test held in July 2021 in Jalingo and Donga LGA’s, and the second Pre-test in December at Gassol, Bali and acknowledged that it is no other agencies responsibility other than that of the National Population Commission to conduct and generate a credible and reliable result that the poor state of data be corrected.
The commissioner pointed out that the journey towards the 2023 population census had long started in 2014 with the foundational exercise referred to as the “Enumeration Area Demarcation” in Taraba state and by extension, the whole nation. This very exercise entails the division of the entire land mass of the country into smaller units.
He added that regardless of the fact that these steps were initiated in 2014, it was slow not until 2019 when it witnessed a greater momentum following a better funding till its coclusion in 2021.
Hon. Sani Sule Sani noted that in its preparation, the commission had also embraced the need for awareness in which it spread its message to the interiors of Taraba state, he said Traditional rulers, women leaders, religious leaders and youth groups were all met in the process of sensitization through an Advocacy and Publicity visit.
Technology according him will play a huge role in this year’s census, starting from collation to transmission and eventual publishing of the the result, as the commission has acquired over 10,000 hand held- “Personal Data Assistant”.
The 2023 Census is not cancelled but postponed
He further buttressed that the Census was not canceled rather it was postponed and the census is proposed to be held towards the end of the year or in the first quarter of 2024.
He appreciated the media outfits in Taraba state for their continual support over the execution of this responsibility the commission is saddled with.
By:
Victor Nwakaòzór
(Chief Editor )
