2023 census crucial to Nigeria’s future — NPC

By Saka Laaro, Ilorin.

The National Commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC) in Kwara State, Alhaji Rasaq Gidado has said that the 2023 Census is so crucial to the country as the outcome will go a long way to determine the future of Nigeria.

Gidado stated this while addressing trainees at the ongoing training programme for facilitators at the Kwara state college of education, Ilorin.

According to him, this year’s census exercise is not like that of the past as the present one is technologically driven as the commission would adopt the Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) data collection method which has largely reduced the use of paper forms.

Gidado stated that Nigerians and the nation cannot afford to jettison the exercise.

He recalled that the census exercise held last in 2006 which by international standard should hold every 10 years.

The NPC National Commissioner charged Kwarans to cooperate with the Census officials by giving them all necessary support in terms of information required from them.

Gidado who described Kwara as one of the first generation States in the Federation, marveled over the low population recorded for the State, stressing that it was through population that the issue of social and economic development would be determined.

He assured that the Commission would give all necessary and legal support to the census personnel, particularly the Supervisors, Facilitators and Enumerators in ensuring the discharge of their duties, while adequate security measures would also be put in place for those that will be posted to rural areas.

He commended participants at the 10 days training workshop for their commitment and zeal and urged them to concentrate more on training as they would end up training the enumerators whom he described as the most important census functionary who are key to the success of the census process.

Participants at the training programme commended the Commission for giving them the opportunity to be part of the 2023 census and promised to assiduously perform their duties without fear or favour.