FG will fix date for national census – NPC

The National Population Commission (NPC), has said a new date for the National Census was yet to be fixed but it would be done by the Federal Government.

NPC said its focus is to ensure that all resources expended are safeguarded ahead of the 2023 Population and Housing Census in the country.

Mr Darlington Okereke, NPC’s Federal Commissioner in Ebonyi, said this at a one-day Breakfast Meeting for Media Executives on Friday in Abakaliki.

Okereke said the safeguard was necessary to avoid starting preparations all over when a new date is fixed.

“We also gathered to enlighten you on the next steps forward in the light of the postponement of the conduct by the former President,” he added.

The Commissioner noted that it had carried out all the preparatory activities towards the census exercise, including the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) and conduct of pre-tests and trial census amongst others.

“We have conducted recruitment and training of census field staff, procurement and configuration of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), the establishment of ICT infrastructures and logistics support, advocacy and publicity activities.

“The most important task before the commission is to sustain and reinforce the relevance of these activities to the successful conduct of the 2023 census.

“This will ensure that the nation does not have to start afresh the preparations, thereby saving cost.

“The Commission has laid a solid foundation for future censuses,” Okereke stated.