NPC commissioner counsels Ndigbo to participate in Census 2022

The National Population Commission (NPC) has urged the people of the South-East to present themselves for counting in the 2022 National Census scheduled for November.

The Federal Commissioner, NPC, representing Enugu State, Mr Ejike Ezeh, made the call on Friday in an interview with Newsmen, in Enugu.

Ezeh said Ndigbo were part of Nigeria and the Census data were for national planning, stressing that if they declined, they would be short-changing themselves.

According to him, they would benefit more if they actively participated in the forthcoming census in the country.

“The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in the cause they are fighting for, need data and if you ask them how many we are, they don’t even know.

“If they need to canvass for anything, they need certain information but when you back out from a thing like this, you have yourselves to blame.

“It is an opportunity for them to say that the South-East is made up of so many numbers and by boycotting the national census, Ndigbo are not helping themselves.

“They will add more value to the zone when they submit to national programmes like the Census,” Eze said.

He further said that the Federal Commissioners in the zone would engage the people of the zone with a vigorous campaign to sensitize them on the need to participate in the Census.

Ezeh stressed that they would engage all the relevant stakeholders such as the media, political, religious and traditional leaders in the campaign.

The commissioner disclosed that the commission would deploy digital applications for the 2022 national census in the country.

He stated that the digital apps that would be used would cover would all the nooks and crannies of the country.

“This is why the commission shifted the census from October to November to enable us put everything in order as well as accommodate international observers.

“It will no longer going to be paper work but use of digital applications in all the processes.

“We are working hard to ensure that the modalities put in place are effective and by God’s grace, we are going to have a credible Census,” he said.

He added that both staff and ad hoc staff that would be used would be trained adequately on how to use the Apps.

He stated that the commission had begun pre-test on their methodology across the 36 states in the country in preparation for the census.

Ezeh said that NPC staff were in the field to test their methodologies, questionnaires and to show how prepared they were.

He said the exercise was currently ongoing in Enugu South and Aninri Local Government Areas of the state.

Newsmen reports that the last census in Nigeria was held in 2006.