2023 Census : NPC sensitises Osun residents

By Richard Akintade, Osogbo

As the April 2023 National Population and Housing Census draws nearer, officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) have sensitised residents of the Osun State on the need to actively participate in the exercise.

The sensitisation was done on Thursday with a road show which took the officials of the NPC through Oroki Estate, Lameco, Oke-Fia, Station Road, Orisunmibare Market, Oja-Oba, Sabo, Ayetoro, Igbona, Ajegunle terminating at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo the state capital.

While speaking with newsmen, the federal commissioner representing Osun in the board of the NPC, Senator Mudashiru Husain, noted that the sensitisation was to inform residents of the state on the need to fully key into the 2023 digital census.

According to Senator Husain, the census is to assist the government plan better its development programmes for Nigerians.

The commissioner said the commission recently launched its e-recruitment portal to recruit ad-hoc staff for the exercise while optimising 40% local content in line with the presidential directive in the vire-ment of gadgets needed for the enumeration.

Husain said the commission is ready to give Nigerians an acceptable headcount, saying measures are underway to do more of capacity building for its staff, to make the first digitized census in Africa hitch-free and credible.

His words, “In line with the directive of our Chairman, Isa Kwarra, we are going to round in partnership with National Orientation Agency (NOA) to further create awareness among our people for participation in the exercise. The forthcoming exercise is a fully automated and digitized effort.

“We are complying with the presidential directive on local content to get the equipment needed for the census. We would not leave any stone unturned to ensure a credible result.

“We are the first in Africa to embrace digital technology in population and housing census in the whole of the continent, and President Buhari is keen on making the process the best in the history of Nigeria.

“We are going to ensure that it is the best, acceptable to both global and international standards. As a country, Nigeria needs an effective database of its population and housing spread, so as to assist the government in effective and efficient national planning,” Senator Husain concluded.