By ERNEST PIUS, Abuja
The National Population Commission NPC, has reiterated that its target is to deliver accurate, reliable and user-friendly census data that would transform history of Nigeria come April 2023.
Chairman, National Population Commission, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, fnsa, gave this assurance on Tuesday in Abuja, at the 5-day National Level Training of Training Centre Managers and Administrators (TCMA) for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
He said that over the years, the Commission has invested considerable time and resources planning for the successful conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
Kwarra said: “This effort has culminated in the development of a Census Strategic Implementation Plan of action detailing a whole range of activities to be carried out in the pre-census, actual census, and post census stages.
“One of such fundamental activities is the management and administration of training centers which are critical to the successful execution of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
“In drawing from the experiences of the two Census Pretests, trial Census and Trial Post Enumeration Survey and in considering the huge number of functionaries to be trained and deployed during the Census, the Commission has fully adopted the Training Centre Management and Administration approach to coordinate and manage training activities in over 35,000 classes during the period of the census and at different levels.
“Census training centers are unique, unlike conventional schools; they are structured to provide distinctive learning experiences that will shape the proficiency of the Census Workforce to deliver on their assigned duties and responsibilities in line with the Commission’s goal of generating credible, reliable and acceptable data for development planning purposes.
“The success of every project is a direct function of the quality of manpower deployed in its execution and for a major national assignment such as the 2023 Population and Housing Census, its overall success will no doubt be tied to the quality of the entire workforce which will largely depend on the quality of training received. However, such must be done within an environment suitable for teaching and learning.
“To this end, the Commission has prioritized the training of centre managers and administrators for effective service delivery. As centre managers and administrators, you will be equipped with relevant skills and knowledge to carry out your duties efficiently.”
He charged that all the participants must show commitment and dedication by giving full attention to the content of the training because the Commission expects much from you at the end of this training programme.
“Let me use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that the National Population Commission is irrevocably committed to positively rewrite the history of censuses in Nigeria and deliver to this great nation accurate and reliable census data.
“Preparations for the 2023 Population and Housing Census are on course and the Commission is confident that the prospect for an accurate and reliable census appears brighter than ever.
“This optimism is rooted in the fact that the present Commission has taken time to identify and deliberate on issues that stalled past censuses and have resolved to avoid those pitfalls through the adoption of scientific planning and modern digital technology,” he added.
