Grace Egbo
Ahead of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census, the National Population Commission (NPC) has solicited the support and collaboration of the media in Ebonyi State.
Journalists received the call during a one-day capacity-building workshop aimed at equipping selected journalists with the requisite tools for effective reporting.
The event was organized by the Commission and held at Osborne La Palm Hotel Abakaliki.
The Honourable Federal Commissioner representing Ebonyi State at the Commission, Darlington Okereke who declared the workshop open on behalf of the Commission’s National Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwara, highlighted the level of the Commission’s preparatory activities.
He however described the Enumeration area demarcation outcomes as both resounding and reassuring.
Okereke described the media as a very important sector needed to secure the cooperation and support of other stakeholders, through effective communication for the success of the census process added that Census is a national event which bestows every citizen the responsibility to participate by presenting themselves to be counted.
“I am pleased to inform you that the outcome of the preparatory activities of the 2023 population and housing Census has been reassuring and resounding.
“The Commission has successfully demarcated 774 LGAs in all States of the Federation and the FCT.
“The Commission has also conducted the first and second pre-test exercises to test the census instruments.
“The trial census was equally conducted in July 2022 to test run our instruments and our preparedness for the 2023 population and housing census”.
He further noted that the Commission is on course in its mission of delivering an accurate census to Nigerians, and a strategic partnership with the media will form the tripod upon which the census architecture will stand to reach out to the Nigerian people.
Also, the Ebonyi State Director of, the National Population Commission, Mrs Julia Nneka Manyike, noted that the workshop is geared towards strengthening journalists’ understanding of the application of basic concepts in census taking.
She then revealed that the Commission would train for deployment a total of 786, 741 functionaries for the 2023 census, consisting of 623, 797 enumerators, 125, 944 supervisors, 24, 001 Data Quality Assistants, 12, 000 Field Coordinators, 1,000 Data Quality Managers, 1, 639 Training Centre Administrators and 59, 000 Local government area level facilitators across the country.
Meanwhile, the State HOD, Public Affairs Department, Mrs Nwakaego Nwachukwu; the HOD, Census, Mrs Leticia Onyeji and the HOD Technical, Mr George Nwankwegu, took participants on various topics, ranging from the history of Census in Nigeria to the technological innovations in the 2023 population and housing census.
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ebonyi State, Comrade Tony Nwizi, in his goodwill message appreciated the Commission for the initiative, describing it as apt.
Nwizi, also a participant at the event, pledged the support of Journalists in the State to enable the commission to succeed in its mandate.
He advised his colleagues to operate with zeal, and in line with the etiquette and codes of principles guiding the media profession, emphasizing developmental journalism above sentiments.
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