CENSUS 2023 : Why The Head Count Was Rescheduled. . . Edo NPC Fed Commissioner.

By Mike  Aladenika

The Federal Commissioner representing Edo state at the National Population Commission, NPC, Dr. Tony Aiyejina has said that the reschedlling of the 2023 census was occasioned by many extraneous factors other than a deliberate postponement by the commission. 

Dr. Aiyejina who stated this in Benin city while addressing participants at the state's breakfast meeting with media executives, said the commission was fully ready for the conduct of the census before it was rescheduled.

Dr.Aiyejina said  "Pursuant to its constitutional mandate of conducting censuses for the country, and having obtained the approval of Former President Muhammad Buhari GCFR, to conduct a Population and Housing Census (PHC) for Nigeria, the National Population Commission (NPC), began preparatory activities for the census.  The Commission as a body took the bold and unprecedented decision to conduct a digital census for the country.

" The first major preparatory activity was Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD),which is the delineation of the country into units, where enumerators will work during the actual census.  The EAD is the strategic architectural frame and foundation for the census and the 18 LGAs in Edo State have been successfully demarcated.

 "The Commission has also conducted the 1st and 2nd Pretest, as well as the Trial Census, which was a dress rehearsal for the census proper meant to test the instruments and methodology for the Census.  Therefore, the Commission created a recruitment portal for all categories of census adhoc

 officials to apply online for recruitment.

 The Federal Commissioner said "The training of census officials has already been done, except for Enumerators and Supervisors.

" All nonsensitive census materials including training manuals have been distributed to all the LGAs in Edo State.  Sensitive materials for the census including Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) have been warehoused with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Benin Branch, for safekeeping"

' It is instructive to note that all processes and pre-cemes activities were conducted on digital platforms, using digital equipments and devices.

One major reason for the postponement of the census was the need for the incoming administration to be allowed to take ownership of the census and pursue it to it's logical conclusion

 "Secondly there was the compelling need to ensure that no part of the country will be naturally disadvantaged if the census is conducted during the raining season.  This is predicated on the fact that simultaneity, is a key attribute of census taking, which demands that the census MUST start and end at the same time in all parts of the country.  

Dr. Tony Aiyejina further said "going by international best practices, not even natural encumbrances should be allowed to affect the simultaneity component of the census, which may lead to undercounting in certain areas of the country

 Dr.  Aiyejina then disclosed that  the media "will naturally play a critical and pivotal role in the sensitization of the populace.  This is why this Breakfast Media Chat, on the postponement of the census is apt, timely and important The Commission intends to take census advocacy to the highest organs of government and other critical stakeholders in the State, even as we await a new date for the census"

 On a concluding note.  "I want all of us to bear at the back of our minds, that the census is a statistical exercise, (that should be insulated from political influences), whose primary purpose is to provide socio, economic and demographic data, for national planning and development", Dr Aiyejina said.

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