The Nigeria Population Commission, NPC, has affirmed that it would make use of digitalised equipment for the 2022 census, unlike previous censuses, so as to reduce the error margin and have a more credible census.
The Zonal Director on Data Administration for Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states and Oyo State Director of the NPC, Bello Abdulkareem, disclosed this in an interview with Voice of Nigeria.
Abdulkareem explained that although previous censuses were analog, the 2022 census, would be georeferenced and digital, where the enumerator would work with a Personal Data Assistant, PDE, (an electronic device where necessary apps are input) to send information through the cloud to the commission’s database, making room for little or no manipulation in whatever guise, noting that the device would guide the enumerator and ensure complete enumeration.
He asserted that in terms of preparation for the proposed census, the commission had done the first pre-test, which included the phased demarcation exercise, that is, delineation of constituencies into smaller units such that enumerators can have easy access within a specified period, followed by testing the methodology of what was done in the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD).
Abdulkareem said, “After the first pre-test, you have to go further and test run, in terms of mobilisation and technical input we put to demarcation which gave birth to the second pre-test, held in November last year. So, we are still test running and test running till we get to the promised point that we will say we are ready for the real census.”
The Zonal Director disclosed that the exercise is a population and housing census in which all the households in a building as well as the buildings would be enumerated, saying the enumerators would give the characteristics of each building in a locality, whether it is an institution, religious place of worship, residential or commercial and data users would find it easier to identify what they need to enumerate.
On the challenges being faced, he identified security, the methodology being used and the need to know the size, the number of buildings, in an enumeration area, so as to know the number of enumerators to cover each EAD, adding that the commission had discussed the issue of insecurity with security agencies at the top level and had been assured that the tension in the troubled areas must have died down before the time planned for the census.
Abdulkareem said the fact that the president has not made any proclamation does not cast any doubt on the conduct of the census, noting that the commission is first working on its internal mechanism before telling the presidency that it is ready for the census.
He stated, “Part of the mechanism is to undergo Enumeration Area Demarcation, first to third pretests. When we get that and see that we are good to go, then the presidency will come in and proclaim. That will happen any moment from now. The presidency is aware and that is why it is imputed in the 2022 budget. That is part of the processes before the proclamation. And what was approved as the budget is an appreciable amount that can get us somewhere.”
Abdulkareem, who noted that census transcends the borders of a country and needs assistance from foreign bodies, said Nigeria has been receiving aid from various world agencies like the UNFPA, UNAID, WHO, UNICEF and others who have sent in their focal person or a representative referred to as World Chief Technical Assistant ahead of them, while also locally working with different federal government ministries and parastatals, especially the Ministry of Health and the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.
He disclosed that the date of the proposed census is elastic and if the commission is unable to meet the May deadline, it would tell the world and review it, in order to avoid a situation where it would have an inconclusive exercise.
Dominica Nwabufo
