The National Population Federal Commissioner, Lagos State, Barrister Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, has said that the deployment of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) and census pad for the 2023 national population and housing census would make every resident of the state “census compliant” and that the people would be holistically involved in the counting process.
The NPC boss stated this at the one-day capacity building workshop on 2023 Population and Housing Census in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) held at the NPC office Tuesday in the Surulere area of Lagos.
Salu-Hundeyin said, “The 2023 Census is a different kind of census as it is going to be Nigeria’s first digital census.
“All stages of the census process are digitalised and electronically driven. The use of paper and paper based entry and recording has been completely eliminated. This has been reflected in the first pre-censal activity of the Census called Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD).
“With the intention to reach every nook and cranny come 2023 population and housing census, the commissioner said that the “CENSUS-PAD which allows for recording of personal data of respondents to be matched with their respective housing characteristics will truly reflect how far the Commission has gone in ensuring that the 2023 National Population and Housing Census will be the most accurate, reliable and verifiable census ever conducted in Nigeria.”
“EAD was totally electronically operated eliminating the use of paper at all stages of operation. The satellite imageries of the localities were downloaded on the Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), a tablet that was used by the demarcators to carve EAs and was operated based on the Census and Survey Processing (CSPro) software,” she added.
Meanwhile, Lagos State National Orientation Agency Director, Dr Waheed Ishola, said the NOA had vowed to make the census smooth and credible as they partner with the National Population and Housing Census.
“The ceremony of the marriage between the National Population and Housing Census and the National Orientation Agency is what we are having here today. It has already been consummated in Abuja,” Ishola said.
He continued: “This time around, NOA has been appreciated for the value it can add to the process of the National Population and Housing Census. We are going to have a very credible National Population and Housing Census come 2023 because we have vowed to work with the National Population Commission.
“The NOA is a grassroots-based organisation. We have built good-will across our communities. And for a census to be credible, it must have a buy-in of those in the communities. So what we are saying is that we are going to put our goodwill into it to ensure that all critical stakeholders within all the communities are carried along and we have their support.”