Alhaji Nasir Kwarra, Executive Chairman National Population Commission (NPC) on Monday affirmed the resolve of the commission to conduct a credible 2023 Population and Housing census.
Kwarra said this while declaring open a workshop with the theme: `legal framework for digital census – Prospects and impediments’ in Ado, Nasarawa.
He said the commission would continue to pursue legal frameworks to deploy latest digital technologies in the conduct of the exercise.
“The commission has successfully demarcated 772 Local Governments Areas out of the 774 Local Governments Areas in the country.
“The commission is also proposing a preliminary census by June 2022,” he said.
Kwarra who called for collaboration with stakeholders, said the purpose of the legal workshop was to strengthen the statutory mandate of the commission.
Sen. Yau Sahabi, Chairman, Senate Committee on National Population and Identity Management expressed satisfaction with the preparations for the national population census.
Sahabi, represented by Alhaji Salisu Usman, a senior legislative aide, who described the National Assembly as the symbol of democracy in the country, restated the commitment of the legislature to supporting NPC for successful `digital census’.
Mr Dennis Idahosah, Chairman, House Committee on Legislative Compliance said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to credible and reliable census.
Idahosah, represented by Mr Timothy Emmanuel, a senior legislative aide, commended the NPC for taking advantage of emerging technologies as done in Ghana, South Africa, among other countries to conduct a census.
He explained that a digital census would not only guarantee speed, but drive an accurate census with fewer errors.
Mr Audu Buratai, Chairman, Legal Committee, NPC, said that the commission would continue to take necessary steps in line with the law to ensure a successful digital census.
Buratai said any action taken outside the dictates of the law amounted to exercise in futility.
He solicited the collaboration of the members of the legal community to drive a law-compliant census by 2023.
Mrs Chioma Umeh, Director, Legal Department, NPC said the workshop was aimed at achieving a census with the full backing of the law.
Umeh expressed optimism that the commission would continue to comply with census laws in tandem with global best practices.