… Conduct Trial Census in 6 LGAs in six zones
The National Population Commission (NPC) says it will train 104 field personnel in Lagos State, ahead of the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
The Federal Commissioner of NPC in the state, Mrs Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said in a statement on Monday that the state-level training was to engage field personnel for the trial.
Sau-Hundeyin said the June 27 to July 8 exercise, was to equip field functionaries with the required skills to effectively and efficiently deliver on the project.
She said 104 field personnel, comprising facilitators, supervisors and enumerators drawn mainly from communities within the selected areas, had been carefully selected for the programme through an online recruitment process.
According to her, the trial census will be conducted from July 11 to 24, as the house numbering will take place from July 11 to 16, then the validation of Enumeration Area (EA) frame from July 17 to 19 and enumeration of persons from July 20 to 24.
She said the trial census, a dress rehearsal, would evaluate all aspects of the census operations, on a limited scale, before the main census.
Sau-Hundeyin said the specific objectives of the training were to assess the quality of the EA maps, determine requisite educational qualification for enumerators, estimated workload of the enumerators, logistics support for the main census, among others.
She said the trial-census in Lagos State would be conducted in one supervisory area in nine Local Government Areas of the state with three LGAs selected in each of the three senatorial districts.
The Federal Commissioner said the LGAs that would be covered were Lagos Island, Surulere and Apapa LGAs in Lagos Central Senetorial District.
Also Alimosho, Ajeromi/Ifelodun and Ikeja LGAs in Lagos West Senetorial District and Ibeju Lekki, Ikorodu and Kosofe LGAs in Lagos East Senatorial District will be involved.
She said the commission was committed to making the 2023 Census a resounding success through the adoption of technological innovations at every stage of the process.
Sau-Hundeyin therefore, urged the field personnel to demonstrate professionalism, diligence and patriotism in their conduct during the exercise.
Topics to be covered for the training of the field personnel are census methodology, planning and operations, use of digital maps and Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI).
Also, building numbering and household listing, enumeration procedure, completion of Census Questionnaire, and use of historical events and special population will be covered.
”This will be complemented with the hands on exercise and field practical, to ensure that personnel knowledge and skills are deepened.
Similarly,the National Population Commission (NPC) will conduct trial census in six local governments of six states of the six geopolitical zones.
Nasir Kwarra, Executive Chairman National Population Commission (NPC) said this in a News Conference in Abuja on Monday.
Kwarra said that the six local government areas would be fully enumerated.
He identified the local governments as: “Toungo Local Government Area, Adamawa State – North East; Daura Local Government Area, Katsina State, North West; Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, North Central.”
“Others are Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, Ogun State, South West; Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State, South East; and Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, South South.”
The chairman said that in total, 7,718 Enumeration Areas (EAs) were selected for the trial census to test run suitability and readiness for the actual census in 2023.
Kwarra asserted that the selection of the coverage areas was scientifically and purposively carried out to achieve the objectives of the trial census.
He explained that the selection of samples from all states of the federation and the FCT was expected to yield nationwide information on state specific issues.
According to him, for the avoidance of doubt, the trial census is not the actual enumeration of persons for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
He said that the outcome of the trial census would not form the basis of the 2023 census.
“Data generated during the trial census will not be used to arrive at figures for the 2023 census.”
Kwarra affirmed that the objective of the trial census was to test all aspects of census operations, from planning to implementation including logistics arrangement and management.
The chairman, who reiterated the commitment of the commission to digital census, appealed for continued collaboration with the media. (NAN)