The Federal Government has given the assurance that the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census will be flawless.
Speaking at his office in Abuja during the inauguration of the 2023 Population and Housing Census Security and Logistic Committee which he chairs, the National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd), gave the assurance stating that the effort was of the utmost importance to the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, with the aim of giving the country accurate and trustworthy demographic data for formulating policies and planning for sustainable development.
According to him, the president's intention to leave an enduring legacy of evidence-based planning for sustainable development is also in keeping with that exercise.
He said that the security committee is important as a first step in ensuring the peaceful and efficient execution of the Census since trustworthy and reliable census data are crucial to planning for sustainable development.
He also noted that due to its charge of providing demographic data that will ensure proper development planning, the National Population Commission has over the years invested significant time and resources in planning for the census with the aim of giving the country precise census data that will aid proper planning within the framework of global economic challenges, insecurity, and other human development situations.
The National Population Commission has therefore decided to conduct the first fully digital census in order to achieve this goal. This census will provide the country with credible, trustworthy, and reliable data that will be used as the basis for government planning for infrastructure, budget allocations, security, and development intervention agendas.
Before carefully choosing the committee's members, according to Monguno, the government took into account the depth of experience and dedication to nation-building.
He outlined their roles and responsibilities, which included providing support, interfering in security and logistical plans to protect Census workers and materials, mobilizing logistical resources for the Census, and developing suitable plans for the storage, distribution, and retrieval of Census tools and materials as required.
Nasir Kwarra, the commission's chairman, reaffirmed that NPC places a high value on the work of the Security and Logistic Committee, whose efforts are crucial to the commission's efforts to provide Nigerians with credible, trustworthy, and acceptable census data for national planning. He stated that the Commission is ready to fully support and give its backing to the Committee in all areas to make it successful in its responsibilities.
According to Patricia Iyanya, the chairman of the General Services Committee, the commission is now making final preparations to conduct the 2023 Population and Housing Census successfully.
To advance the Census process at the local level, Iyanya requests the support and collaboration of the relevant stakeholders.
