By Martha Agas
National Population Commission (NPC) in Plateau has lauded security agencies
and community leaders in the nine Enumeration Areas (EA) of the local government areas where the
commission conducted its trial census.
The NPC Federal Commissioner for Plateau, Mrs Cecilia Dapoet, made the commendation at a news conference in Jos on Wednesday.
The EAs selected are: Mangun in Mangu Local Government Area, Daffo in Bokkos Local Government Area, Jengre in Bassa,
Gindin Akwati in Barkin Ladi, and Chip in Pankshin Local Government Area.
Others are Njak in Namu, Qua’an Pan Local Government Area, Jarawan Kogi in Jos East, Shendam in Shendam Local Government Area
and Pilgani in Langtang North.
Dapoet said the synergy between security agencies comprising the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Deparment of State
Services, Federal Road Safety Corps and the vigilantee, contributed in ensuring smooth operations during the exercise .
Represented by the NPC Director in Plateau , Mr Pam Deme, she said the community leaders assisted in controlling resistance from members .
She added that “we had a one day meeting with security agencies in Plateau and also at the local government and community levels, in preparation for the exercise.
“We know that traditional institutions are critical for the success of this exercise and smooth community mobilisation, so we conducted zonal
stakeholders meeting to facilitate the process.”
She, however, said there was need for more public awareness to facilitate information dissemination at the community level, and called for
partnership with the media and other relevant stakeholders.
She said that NPC in the state had trained 104 functionaries who conducted enumeration of persons, house numbering and household listing within the number of days allotted .
It would be recalled that the NPC commissioner announced that enumerators would embark on building numbering and household
listing on July 11 to July 19, enumeration of persons on July 20 to July 23 and mop up of enumeration areas between July 25 to July 30.
The commissioner said the trial census was to test the commission’s instruments of data collection and procedure of enumeration in preparation for
the main census in 2023.
The NPC also announced new technologies and introduction of innovations such as the use of census Personal Assisted Pad and CS Pro
for the exercise to facilitate digital data collection and to check fraud.
The NPC commissioner, therefore, said “we have tested our capacity as an organisation to midwife the 2023 population and housing
census under the current national challenges.
“From all indications, we can say that we are ready and that many Nigerians are ready to be enumerated.” (NAN)(
