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Positive Signal Will Determine Trial PES In Bayelsa, Borno-NPC

Published

3 years ago

October 17, 2022

Joel Ajayi

Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra has revealed that the Commission would embark on the planned national trial post enumeration survey (PES) but in Bayelsa and Borno states if the respective governors did not give positive signal on flood and security respectively.

He stated this on Monday in Abuja at Press Briefing on the commencement of the Trial Post Enumeration Survey (PES) for the 2023 Population and Housing Census. explained that PES is a statistically representative survey that the National Population Commission will use to check the accuracy of the Trial Census conducted in July 2022.

According to him, if there’s instructions that there would be no movement in Bayelsa and Borno states on flood and security situations, we will cancel the states for the Post Enumeration Survey (PES)

“The PES will allow the Commission to determine how many people were missed, included by mistake, or counted in the wrong place.

“The conduct of the Trial PES is an integral part of the preparatory activities for the conduct of a successful census in 2023. The Commission is placing premium importance on this exercise. A Population census is the official enumeration of all persons in a country at a specific time. This encompasses the collection, compilation, evaluation, analysis, publication and dissemination of demographic, social and economic statistics relating to the population”.

He said errors are inevitable in a large-scale data collection exercise such as a Census.

“Errors can arise from many sources in the conduct of the census, especially in field data collection and processing procedures. Census designs can also be a source of error by introducing measurement errors through wrong questionnaires, instructions, training materials, and procedures for data collection. The PES, therefore, has been designed to redress these possible errors in the census process. The results of the comparison are mainly used to measure coverage and content error in the context of the census.

“This Trial PES exercise is in line with the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses. It gives credibility to the census results and engenders confidence and acceptability of the census by data users”.

Setting the objectives of the Trial PES as to measure Coverage error due to either under‐coverage or over‐coverage of persons and in some cases households/housing units in the Trial Census; to determine content errors through measuring levels of agreement in responses to questions on selected characteristics, such as sex, age, marital status, relationship to reference person or head of household; to identify procedural and conceptual limitations in the Census which need improvement in future Censuses and large‐scale surveys and to provide a statistical basis for adjustment of Trial Census results based on net coverage rates.”

Isa Kwarra pointed out that to achieve the outlined objectives of the PES, the Commission has constituted an independent Team and saddled it with the responsibility of preparing and conducting the 2023 PES which will take place shortly after the conduct of the 2023 digital Population and Housing Census.

In its bid to strive for demographic excellence, the Commission has spared no expense in the training and equipping of its ranks with the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake the 2023 PES.

He said the Commission has painstakingly selected and trained PES Enumerators and other PES Functionaries in 6 LGAs of the 6 States where the PES is to take place.

The training was rigorous with an intended high-quality output from the personnel and the. Adopting the slogan, “Zero Tolerance for Error,” Isa Kwarra said the Trial PES will be carried out from 18th to 29th October 2022 and will be conducted in 127 Enumeration Areas in one (1) LGA in one (1) State in each of the Six (6) geo-political Zones as follows:

Toungo, Adamawa North East;
Idemili South, Anambra South East; Brass, Bayelsa, South South; Daura, Katsina, North West; Karu, Nasarawa North Central and Imeko-Afon, Ogun
South West.

The NPC chairman explained that during the exercise, Enumerators will move around in the selected Enumeration Areas numbering houses and enumerating members of households in the Enumeration Area. “In some cases, the visit of the PES Enumerator to a household can be more than once for verification of data collected”.

Isa Kwarra was however emphatic when he said the National Population Commission is committed to conducting a credible and reliable census, whose result will be planning tool for national development through rigorous planning and use of International best practices at every stage of the process as he appeal to Nigerians to join the Commission to bequeath to the country, a demographic data that will be used to navigate through the myriad of challenges confronting her today. “I wish to put it on record that our population remains the greatest asset in national development and it must be harnessed to make life worth living for our people.

The cooperation and support of all stakeholders and general public is vital for the successful conduct of the Trial PES”.

Saying that getting the 2023 Population and Housing Census right is a task that must be done, Isa Kwarra pointed out that the Commission is committed to ensuring that everything about the census is done rightly and professionally. “We have the clear vision, commitment and professional capacity to deliver on this historic mandate”.

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Daughters of Dr. Charles Ononiwu, Chiamanda and Chiamaka, Launch Debut Books to Uplift Hearts Facing Life’s Struggles

Published

4 weeks ago

October 10, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

At just 18 and 20 years old, Chiamanda and Chiamaka Ononiwu — daughters of renowned Nigerian surgeon Dr. Charles Ononiwu — have achieved a remarkable milestone with the release of their debut inspirational books, Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls.

Their literary journey began six years ago, during the height of the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the world was engulfed in fear and uncertainty, the then 13- and 15-year-old sisters turned inward, using writing as an outlet to process their emotions, express their faith, and reach out to others with messages of hope and resilience.

What began as a quiet act of creativity blossomed into two powerful books that now serve as beacons of light for readers navigating life’s storms.

Eighteen-year-old Chiamanda Ononiwu is the author of Do Not Be Afraid. A passionate Electrical Engineering student , she is also a proud alumna of Intellichild TLC and Valedictorian of Great Blessings School, Class of 2022.

In her book, she addresses the emotional challenges many young people face and draws from her personal faith to offer guidance and encouragement.

Her elder sister, Chiamaka Ononiwu, 20, is a final-year medical student at Babcock University in Nigeria. She penned Waterfalls, a heartfelt and deeply spiritual work she describes as divinely inspired. Chiamaka views her writing as a calling — a mission to uplift souls and bring hope to those struggling with life’s challenges.

“Personally, I would say it all started with the idea of inclusion, inspired by real human experiences,” Chiamaka shared. “We’ve had conversations with people who’ve gone through difficult situations — including issues and those stories helped shape what I write today.”

She added, “It’s all about encouraging people to face life with faith. We began this journey during a dark time in the world, and I felt called to create something that could offer comfort and hope — not just locally, but globally.”

The official book launch and signing ceremony took place on Wednesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and was attended by family, friends, colleagues, and well-wishers. It was a celebration of creativity, faith, and youthful brilliance, as the sisters presented their work to an inspired audience.

Speaking at the event, Chiamaka emphasized the core message of her book: “Waterfalls reminds readers that God is always watching over His people. He doesn’t bring fear — He brings peace, hope, and love. I want readers to find comfort and assurance in that truth.”

For Chiamanda, her book is a message to young people who may feel overwhelmed by life’s pressures: “Do Not Be Afraid is especially for youth navigating difficult times. No matter how hard life gets, you can always find strength and direction in God’s word.”

Writing came naturally to both sisters. Chiamaka recalled, “Even as a child, I loved writing short stories for my siblings. When the opportunity came to publish, I knew it was time to share my message with a wider audience.”

Despite their demanding academic paths, both young women balanced their studies with writing through perseverance and faith.

Chiamanda and Chiamaka are united by a shared dream — to inspire people across the world with their writing.

Chiamaka expressed Further; “Our biggest hope is that these books will reach people who need to know that God is real, that He’s always with them, and that through Him, anything is possible,” Chiamaka said.

With Do Not Be Afraid and Waterfalls, the Ononiwu sisters have not only created literary works — they’ve created lifelines. Their voices, grounded in faith and driven by purpose, remind readers everywhere that even in the darkest moments, God’s light never fades.

Their father, Dr. Charles Ononiwu — a distinguished surgeon and deeply devoted parent — also spoke at the event, sharing the journey from his perspective.

“For me, my number one priority has always been to care for children — not just medically, but also by encouraging them academically and in the basics of life,” he said.

He recounted a moving moment with Chiamanda, who approached him with the idea of sharing her story publicly to inspire others.

“She came to me and said she wanted to talk to her peers, to share how she had been comforted, and to help them see that everything would be okay,” he recalled. “As a father, my role was to guide her. I support both of them, help activate their strengths, and provide direction.”

Dr. Ononiwu made the decision to fund the publication of their books himself, believing in the power of their message.

“I told them, ‘You have something the world needs. You can make an impact in the lives of others,’” he said. “I believe every child has a gift. It is our responsibility as parents not to dismiss them, but to help them discover and nurture their talents.”

He encouraged all parents to support their children’s creative pursuits, noting, “Every person has something special inside them — no one is without talent. It’s just a matter of looking inward, discovering that gift, and sharing it with the world.”

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