Joel Ajayi

As part of the determination to have a better, accurate, and acceptable 2023 population and housing census in the country, the National Population Commission NPC on Monday commenced the trial census across the country.

The 12 days Census dress rehearsal will commence from 27th June to 8th July 2022, as 12 states were picked from 6 geo-Political zones include; Adamawa, Kastina, Nassarawa, Ogun, Anambra, and Bayelsa states.

Speaking on Monday in Abuja in a press briefing heralding the commencement of the Trial Census in preparation for the first fully digital census in Nigeria in April 2023, the Chairman of NPC Alhaji Nasir Isa kwarra, reiterated that the 2023 census will be transparent and acceptable to all Nigerians at the end of the whole exercise.

According to him, as you are aware, His Excellency, President Muhammad Buhari, GCFR, acting on the advice of the National Council of State has graciously approved the conduct of the Trial Census for June 2022 and the next Population and Housing Census in April 2023. 

“This approval underscores the President’s commitment towards planned and sustainable development of the country. The President has by this singular action demonstrated his desire to place the welfare of the Nigerian people at the center of governance in Nigeria. 

“Consequent upon this approval, the Commission has intensified preparatory activities deploying technological innovations on a massive scale to conduct a truly scientific census that will not only be accurate and reliable.

“As you are aware, the Commission has carried out the demarcation of the entire land mass of Nigeria into small Enumeration Areas that can be covered by a team of enumerators, and the first and second pretests to test the census instruments. 

“The Trial census, which is also known as the “census dress rehearsal”, is another key preparatory activity for the Census. It is a process in which all census operations are tested in a detailed and comprehensive manner. This takes place as a matter of best practice about a year before the actual census data to assess the different scenarios that may be presented during the main census.

“In line with the approval of the Federal Government, the Trial Census will be conducted from 27th June to 30th July 2022.” 

Giving the hints on the objective of the trial census, NPC Chairman said that: “the Trial census will test all aspects of census operations, from planning to implementation including logistics arrangement and management, questionnaire design and format, training procedures, fieldwork operations, publicity, payment system, data processing, data tabulations, and analysis. 

“For this Trial Census, the specific objectives are: Assess the quality and the usefulness of the Enumeration Area (EA) maps that had been created,

“Determine the possible demographic as well as geographical changes that might have occurred in the EAs carved between 2016-2018 and their implications for census taking. 

“Determine the feasibility of uploading EA maps on the census app for house numbering and household listing as well as population enumeration.

“Also, to determine the correlation between EAD estimated population and the pre-test enumerated population; Determine the requisite educational qualification for the 2023 census’ enumerators,

“Determine the appropriateness of the estimated workload on the enumerators and it will determine the necessary logistics support that might be required from the states and LGAs.”

Speaking on the coverage trial census, Hon Kwarra said; “being a sample exercise, the Trial Census will only be conducted in selected areas. It will be covered as follows: 

“One Local Government Area will be fully covered in One LGA in One State in each of the six geo political zones and one supervisory area in 3 LGAs in each of the three senatorial districts in the remaining 30 states and the FCT.

“The six local government areas which will be fully enumerated are as follows: Toungo Local Government Area, Adamawa State  – North East;  Daura Local Government Area, Katsina State, North West; Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, North Central; Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, Ogun State, southwest; Idemili South Local Government Area, Anambra State, southeast; Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, South-South. 

“In total, Seven Thousand, Seven Hundred and Eighteen (7,718) EAs have been selected for the Trial Census to test run suitability and readiness for the actual census in 2023.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Trial Census is not the actual enumeration of persons for the 2023 Population and Housing Census. In other words, the outcome of the Trial Census will not form the basis of the 2023 Census. Data generated during the Trial Census will not be used to arrive at figures for the 2023 Census, which is going to be zero-based and from information collected in April 2023.”

However, he applauded the support of the media for always disseminating information and Educating reports as well as in-depth reports on census preparatory activities which have placed the 2023 Census at the center of national discourse as well as mobilizing Nigerians for its successful conduct. 

“As the Commission takes the next crucial steps towards the 2023 Census, the Commission will continue to count on the collaboration and partnership of the Nigerian media.”

He, therefore, appeals to all strategic partners to join hands with the Commission in realizing the dream of providing the needed demographic data that will facilitate and place our country on the pedestal of sustainable development.

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