‘We are 97% ready for next national census,’ says NPoC
[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]
National Population Commission (NPoC) says it is about 97% ready for the next national census which is proposed to take place next year.
Navy Captain Charles Ogwa (Rtd), member representing Cross River State in the board of NPC disclosed this in Calabar while speaking on the commission’s readiness for the next census.
“In line with this, the NPC is about 97% ready for the exercise as over 97% of the country has been covered in the Enumeration Area Demarcation Exercise being undertaken by the commission.
“What the commission has done is that we have prepared both the budget, started the pre census activities and we propose to hold the National Population and Housing Census in the second quarter of, 2022, subject to the approval of the president.
“We have started core activities towards holding this census in 2022 and started with enumeration area demarcation of all the 774 local government areas and today we are just doing mop up and in cross river they are in the field now.
“We have finished Erei in Biase, have gone to Abi at Ebijakara and have now moved on to Obubra and from there on to Yala.
“The second pre test activity in the state which runs from December 3 to 10 will cover Akamkpa, Abi, Ikom and Obanliku”, he said.
Speaking on the benefits of the proposed census to the country, he said that with the questionnaire, lot of data will be generated which will help in the development of the country.
He said the commission has deployed new technology that will reduce to almost zero percent human interference in addition to being digitized to eliminate paper completely.
