The commissioner, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the National Population Commission (NPC), Hon. Joseph Shazin and officials of the commission yesterday paid an advocacy and sensitisation visit to the Abuja chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria.
Shazin, in his address in the meeting which held at the LEA Nomadic Primary School in Dutse Alhaji, said it was in preparation for the 2023 census.
He said the commission was going on with the sensitisation exercise as a result of experiences encountered during the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise where some Fulani communities were not easily accessed.
He disclosed that the decision was reached to involve Fulani youths in the exercise to get the needed cooperation from the Fulani communities.
He noted that Fulani youths who are literate had been recruited, but not in the required number.
He said the meeting was to also appeal to the Fulani leaders to bring more of their wards to participate in the exercise.
He stressed that as a result of security concerns in these communities, the involvement of Fulani youths who are resident in the communities would encourage other Fulani to participate in the exercise.
He assured Nigerians that the census would be a completely digitised process, with all data stored in computer.
Chairman of FCT chapter of the Fulani group, Yahayah Isah, in his response assured the commissioner that his message would be duly communicated to the Fulani communities.
He noted that their organisation is well structured from national to local level, even as he assured that other stakeholders’ meetings would be held to effectively pass the message to Fulani communities in Abuja.