The National Population Commission (NPC) has unveiled a compendium of localities in Enugu in preparation for the 2023 population and housing census.
The commission presented the compendium at the two-day workshop it organised on Tuesday in Enugu.
The participants in the workshop included traditional rulers, Local Government chairmen and Government agencies.
Addressing the participants, Mr Ejike Ezeh, the Federal Commissiner, NPC, Enugu, said the compendium of localities for census was a tool for data dissemination as well as national planning and development.
He said that the workshop was aimed at compiling all the localities demarcated during Enumeration Area exercise on LGA basis showing the coverage and location on interactive maps.
Ezeh said the compendium of locality would be presented to the President before the conduct of the census be approved by the consensus of stakeholders.
“We are happy that NPC has acquired a lot of data sets that will be useful for national development.
“So participants are to look at the compendium of localities, the spellings to see if there is any omission, so they can point it out before final compilation towards the forthcoming census.
“If there is any community that is missing, the LG chairmen should be able to point it out,” Ezeh said.
Also, the State Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Ifeyinwa Ugwu, urged Igbos to ensure that they were counted in order to benefit from national development and other benefits for the Southeast zone.
“So we are seeking cooperation of the communities to allow enumerators to count them during 2023 national census.
“Igbos are many but do not allow misconception by some that Igbos are not Nigerians to deny yourselves from being counted,” Ugwu advised.
The state director, however, called on traditional rulers to take the campaign to the grassroots as members of their communities as they were closer to the people.
The Commissioner for Local Government Matters, Mr Peter Okonkwo, while calling on Igbos to avail themselves the opportunity to be counted, said census was relevant for planning and development.
Okonkwo, represented by his Secretary, Mr Chijoke Ngwu said, “It is only when we have correct data that we can plan well which will bring about desired development.”
Similarly, the Director Culture and Cultural Dialogue, Godfrey Okoye University, Chief Ferdinand Anikwe, said that population was the key for national planning.
Anikwe said that Nigeria had its respect by other African countries because of its large population.
“Therefore, I am calling on our brothers who are everywhere to come home and be counted.
“Some say they can be counted anywhere they found themselves but I say come home and be counted as everything in Nigeria depend on population estimate,” he appealed.
He said that population increase was an advantage as the population would work hard to produce what they would eat.
Anikwe, a former Director-General, Centre for Black and Arts Civilization, said, “We are calling our people from the southeast to make sure they are counted.
“More populous a local government area is, more fund from the federal allocation and we cannot afford ourselves to miss this opportunity.”