Alphonsus Agborh | Asaba
Journalists have been charged to exhibit professionalism in their reportage of the forthcoming 2023 population and housing census in Nigeria.
The Federal Commissioner representing Delta State in the National Population Commission (NPC), Chief Richard Odibo, gave the charge at a one-day capacity building workshop for journalists in the state recently held in Asaba,which was organised by the commission .
Odibo, represented by the state’s Director of the Commission, Mr. Patrick Lotobi, stated that the workshop tagged “State level capacity building workshop for journalists on effective reporting of the 2023 Population and Housing Census,” was specifically designed to improve capacity of journalists to provide professional coverage for the exercise.
“This workshop is specifically designed to improve the capacity of journalists to effectively and professionally report the census processes and outcome of the 2023 Census.
“Knowing that the role of the media in achieving a successful 2023 Population and Housing Census cannot be overemphasised as they are there to inform, educate, refute negative perception as well as promote acceptability, hence the need for this workshop,” he explained.
The state’s Director of National Population Commission, Mr. Patrick Lotobi, who disclosed that the 2023 Census will be the first digital to be carried out in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, stated that Delta State is proactive concerning build up to the main census, stressing that the state is far ahead of other states.
He enjoined participants to give the workshop the seriousness it deserves, just as he expressed confidence that the knowledge acquired would position journalists for effective reporting of the exercise.
Resource persons, including Patrick Lotobi, Head of Technical, Silvester Evarere; the Public Relations Officer, Anthony Uwaechue and Jerry Erunube took participants on various topics such as Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) for the 2023, Map Resources (MR), Technological Innovations (TI), History of Census in Nigeria/Structure/Mandate of the NPC and how to generate content on the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
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