The National Population Commission (NPC) has assured Nigerians of a hitch-free population census, noting that, the Commission would be leveraging on technology to achieve the feat.
It stated this ahead of the first digital 2023 National Population and Housing Census scheduled to hold from March 29 to April 1st, 2023.
The chairman, NPC, Nasir Isa Kwara, at the hand-over of the Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) in Lagos, explained that, the commission has also put in place measures to ensure that the population census is conducted in the most credible and efficient manner.
He noted that, the acceptance of the newly procured PDA is symbolic, pointing out that, the PDA is very important to the success of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
He added that the electronic device is the major medium for the Digital Census that houses the Census questionaire as well as the maps that directs the enumerators to the enumeration areas where they will conduct the Census.
To him, “the devices when provisioned with the forms, maps and other digital enhancement ensures that enumerators cannot go beyond the area assigned to them, thus there will be no overcount or undercount.
gap or overlap.”
He stressed that the geospatial resources that NPC has acquired will be deployed on the device which he said would ensure that all Nigerians are counted where they are and live.
According to him, the commission has a robust Geo-spatial data which with the conduct of a digital census will aid planning in all aspects of National development.
He highlighted that the hand-over confirms the commission’s readiness for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census beginning with the deployment of the PDAs for the on-going training nationwide.
He commended Zinox Technologies Limited for the prompt and professional way it has handled the implementation of the contract, saying, the commission is looking forward to strengthening the partnership by providing adequate technical support for the deployment of the PDAs.
Also speaking on the sidelines of the event, the federal commissioner, NPC for Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said the demographic data gotten from the digital census system will help the country to develop.
She said, this is the first time Nigeria will be having a digital census, noting that the decision to leverage heavily on technology is because the world has gone digital.
The chairman of Zinox Group, Leostan Ekeh, said the digital system has been built for integrity to record of excellent data.
He said, the project has been implemented in other African countries and has recorded credible census data figures, adding that, it is a privileged for the Federal Government to consider the company for the project.
