Fides Media Living the Faith
By Ogochukwu Nwaokafor
Nigerian president, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, has declared that the date for the National Population census date will soon be made public.
The National Population Commission, Anambra Chapter, disclosed this during a media chat to discuss the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census which was held at Cosmila Hotels, Okpuno, Awka, June 9.
Fides gathered that the National Population Commission, NPC, had fixed a date for the head count in March this year but it was postponed due to the general elections.
According to the Federal Commissioner, National Population Census, for Anambra State, Mr Chidi Ezeoke, during the media briefing, very soon a new date would be announced by the federal government.
‘We are laying the foundation for this coming census which is the first ever digital type in the country and we are hoping that the new government would take advantage of it for proper planning and development,’ he said.
Also speaking, the Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu, noted that insisting on holding the census as earlier scheduled would have resulted in stampede, saying its shift would afford the Commission the opportunity to perfect the project which would be holistic and acceptable.
He added that he was aware of the chains of meeting the Commission had held with the government, including enlightenment campaign targeted at educating the public before the postponement was announced.
‘But it’s a good thing it had to be suspended for the new administration because if they had done it at the twilight of the outgone administration, it would have led to a stampede, particularly in view of the importance of the exercise.
‘Census is not something you do in a hurry. I want to believe that when the Census will hold eventually, it will be holistic and done the way our counterparts hold theirs.
‘All those targeted to benefit from the exercise will be captured and every sector will have a take-away. It will also offer the Commission the opportunity to plan better and perfect the exercise,’ he noted.
Nwosu further commended NPC for organizing the event, describing it as a demonstration of her confidence in the media to assist her offer the nation a credible and reliable head count.
‘I would have been surprised if this kind of event is not holding, given the amount of efforts both the Government and Commission have put in to ensure a successful census, especially in Anambra.
‘The engagement is a demonstration of the importance the Commission attaches to the role of journalists in the exercise. It is also an opportunity to hear from the horse’s mouth that the exercise was not cancelled, but shifted,’ he said.