NPC Commissioner wants sustained media campaign on census

The National Population Commission (NPC) has appealed to the media to sustain enlightenment campaigns on the importance of the 2023 Housing/Population Census.

Chidi Ezeoke, NPC Federal Commissioner in charge of Anambra, made the appeal during a meeting with media executives in Awka on Friday.

Ezeoke said though former President Muhammadu Buhari had announced the shift in the date for the 2023 census, the exercise will still hold in the near future.

The Commission had fixed May 3 to 7, 2023 for the census before Buhari announced postponement of the exercise indefinitely, saying that incoming government would fix a new date for the census.

Ezeoke said but for Buhari’s action that the Commission was ready to conduct the exercise before shift in date was announced.

He said, while we are expecting the new president to settle down, the Commission is praying the media to continue to educate the public on the need for them to massively participate anytime a new date is announced.

“We are hoping a date will be announced because that is the sure way for the Commission to sustain the gains already made since every preparations were concluded before the shift in date."

According to him, no fewer than 800, 000 adhoc staff comprising enumerators, facilitators and supervisors have been recruited and trained across the country.

“The commission has equally demarcated the land areas for easy operations in addition to procurement of necessary equipment and other logistics,” he said.

Ezeoke said that the meeting with the media was to sustain partnership, added that the media should continue to enlighten the people on the importance of census.

Dr Joachim Ulasi, State Director of NPC, Anambra, described the media as strategic partner in the Commission’s arrangements for the census.

Ulasi who gave details of all that NPC had done in the state, said the innovation being introduced by the commission would make the 2023 exercise a census data of high reckoning.

“We will use hybrid digital technology in the conduct of the exercise, satellite imagery shall be collated to enable us produce reliable data for virtually every professionals”, he said.