As Nigeria counts down to the 2023 National Population and Housing Census, the National Population Commission, NPC has held a capacity-building workshop for members of the National Census Publicity Committee.
Members of the Publicity Committee are made up of Media Executives, to build capacity on how best to use their medium in creating awareness, informing, and educating the public on the significance of the Census.
The chairman of the National Population Commission, Mr. Nasir Kwarra said that the workshop was another major milestone in the Commission’s journey towards the successful conduct of the 2023 census to generate evidence-based demographic data for development planning purposes.
Mr. Kwarra who made the statement in Abuja also said that “There is no gainsaying that any organization that strives to achieve success must constantly convey information to all its stakeholders in order to secure their cooperation and support.”
He noted that “The vision of the Commission for the 2023 census is to produce not only accurate, reliable and acceptable census data but also inclusive and user-friendly data that will be used by all segments of the society for development planning and critical program interventions”.
The Workshop is to ensure that the result of the census is acceptable to Nigerians and the quality of the data to be generated meets international best standards.
He further said that “the need for Advocacy, Publicity and Public Enlightenment cannot be over emphasized and therefore the “Committee is phenomenal, in consideration of the need to inform, educate and enlighten Nigerians on the scope of the Census”.
The Census will involve the counting of every person resident in Nigeria and it will take place simultaneously in every household.
Nigeria’s Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Mr. Lai Mohammed who is the co-chair of the Committee said the conduct of the census was to complement the achievements of the government.
Mr. Mohammed who was represented by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Dr. Garba Abare said he hopes that the engagement with the media executives would enhance the capacity of the media houses for the commission to achieve its mandate.
One of the participants is the Director General of Voice of Nigeria Mr. Osita Okechukwu. He told journalists that his media organisation would ensure that the National Population and Housing Census receives the needed attention to inform and educate Nigerians on why they should be counted.
Confidence Okwuchi
