Laleye Dipo in Minna
The National Population Commission (NPC) has applauded the increasing state of security in most parts of the country assuring Nigerians that the situation if sustained will not negatively affect the conduct of the 2023 census.
The Federal Commissioner in charge of Niger state Alhaji Dattijo Usman, stated this in Minna at the opening of a seminar on “ The Compendium on Localities” organised for the 25 local governments in the state.
Dattijo said with the prevailing security situation in all parts of the country and in particular Niger state no area will be left uncovered during the head count.
“The issue of insecurity is abating now and we have concluded all the arrangements to have a successful census exercise. The insecurity issues in the state will not stop us from conducting census in 2023,” he said.
He maintained that the level of insecurity has reduced across the state as such the Commission is working round the clock with relevant security agencies to work out how best the census would be done across Niger state.
The major objective of the “State-level Compendium of Localities” workshop according to usman “is to compile all the localities demarcated during the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) on local government area basis showing the coverage and location on interactive maps” adding that “the compendium of localities in census taking is a tool for census data dissemination and national planning and development”.
Usman further explained that “The EAD exercise collected data on all localities with a standard definition of the locality as a distinct population cluster in which the inhabitants live in neighbouring sets of living quarters has a name or a locally recognized status.”
He, however, observed that the fragmentation of localities may hinder the rapid development of a local government area as major intervention programmes by government, individuals and organizations work along the path of population.
The Federal Commissioner disclosed that the compendium of locality to be produced will be presented to the President before the 2023 population and housing census for approval after all stakeholders have bought into the document.
Usman decried the very low turn out of local government chairmen where only two of them attended the programme despite the invitation sent to them describing the Chairmen as “critical stakeholders in the process of getting the compendium of localities right”.
Only the Chairmen of Lavun and Gbako local government areas were present at the meeting.
