The Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC) in charge of Bayelsa state, Mrs. Gloria Izonfuo has vowed to ensure that there is no politicization of the forthcoming national population census slated for April, 2023 across the country.
The commissioner stated this while fielding questions from newsmen during a press briefing at her office in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa state capital on the commencement of the fieldwork for trial census of the 2023 population and housing census which began on July 13, 2022.
She hinted that with the introduction of digital uploading of data by the commission during the forthcoming exercise, the era where some politicians used to impute fictitious numbers of persons and houses in order to get more political benefits than their counterparts was over.
Izonfuo also revealed that no individuals or buildings would be counted by proxy but physically, emphasizing that the theme of the 2023 national population census which is ‘’You Count, Be Counted’’ was apt and would be followed to the latter.
She noted that Brass local government area of Bayelsa state was selected for the South-South zone for the full trial census coverage due to its peculiar terrain, pointing out that numbering of buildings/listing of households commenced on Wednesday and would last till July 18 while validation of Enumeration Areas (EAs) would hold between 19 and 21 of July just as person’s enumeration would hold between 22 and 26 of July to be followed by enumeration mop up from 27 to 31st of July when the trial census is expected to end.
The commissioner further noted that training of enumerators and supervisors was carried out in two stages at Twon Brass, headquarters of Brass LGA, adding that the trial census was a dress rehearsal of the actual census and a process in which all census enumerations are tested in a detailed and comprehensive manner, which usually takes place as a matter of international best practice, one year ahead of the actual census date.
“It is to test all phases of the main census, from planning to the execution of the plans, logistics, procedures, fieldwork operations, publicity, payment system, processing, data tabulation and analysis,” she added.
She highlighted the objectives of the trial census to include assessing the quality and usefulness of EAs maps that have been created, determine the possible demographic as well as geographic changes that might have occurred in the EAss carved between 2016-2018 and their implications for census taking, determine the correlation between the EAD estimated population and the pre-test enumerated population.
Other objectives, she said, were to determine the feasibility of uploading EA maps on the census application for house numbering and household listing as well as population enumeration, determine the requisite educational qualification for the 2023 census enumerators, determine the appropriateness of the estimated workload of the enumerators and to determine the necessary logistics support that might be required from the state and local government areas.
Izonfuo expressed delight over the receptive and peaceful disposition of the people of Brass LGA in the course of the exercise and enjoined the 828 staff workers including ad-hoc staff involved in the trial census exercise to be good ambassadors of the NPC.
“The commission is determined to successfully conduct the trial census in our quest to deliver a credible, reliable, acceptable and verifiable census to the nation. The commission will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the trial census is carried out meticulously, professionally and scientifically to provide a good foundation for a smooth conduct of the 2023 population and housing census.
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