National Population Commission kick starts Phase two of enumeration exercise 

The National Population Commission held a stakeholder meeting with the traditional rulers, community leaders and representatives of government in Ilorin, Kwara State to kick start the phase II of the Enumeration Area Dermacation  (EAD) exercise taking place in  three Local Government Areas in the State.

The meeting which was  held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Hall in G.R.A, Ilorin was facilitated by the NPC to seek for the support and cooperation of the people believed to be crucial to the success of the EAD exercise that will begin on 19th of December 2020 and run till 20th of January, 2021 in Ekiti, Irepodun and Oke-Ero Local Government Areas of the State.

Addressing the participants at the venue of the meeting, the Federal Commissioner, Alhaji Rasaq Gidado who spoke on behalf of the National Chairman of the Commission, andNasir Kwarra said the EAD exercise is not a proper census, but a preparatory activity before the actual census enumeration and it should not be equated with the census.

“Being the foundation for the census, the National sample frame for the country is created from the EAD. The sample frame derived from the EAD is the one that is used by all data collecting organizations, including MDAs and research institutions, stressed that the frame is also used by international agencies including the IMF and World Bank to monitor the economic and financial performance of the country”, he added.

He disclosed that the Commission is also into partnership with the National Electoral Commission, INEC, while “the commission is assisting the INEC to create digitized maps of INEC, Registration Areas (Wards) for the first time as part of the EAD.

According to him,  it is expected that the output of this collaborative will positively impact future elections.

He, however called on the state  governors, security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders to provide security, logistic support and conducive atmosphere for their functionaries to perform to their optimum.

Speaking at the event, the Secretary of the state Council of Ulamas, Justice Soliu Mohammed (rtd) said that “the support of traditional rulers through sensitization of their subjects will ensure the success of the exercise.

Justice Mohammed stated that no tangible or meaningful development can take place without proper and accurate number existing in any society.

The jurist also added that there cannot be comprehensive development without government knowing the number of the aged, young, new births and death in any local government, state and country without accurate census.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Olomu of Omu-Aran, Oba AbdulRaheem Adeoti, urged the commission to be circumspect in carrying out the exercise in order for them to have an acceptable exercise and made it known that the traditional rulers will give necessary support to the workers that will be deployed to their domains.

In his remarks, the State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, princess Adebukola Babalola  said the state can not afford to be shortchanged in the exercise.

According to him, if the exercise is properly done, it might have ripple effect on the state federal allocations stressing that  benefits derivable from accurate data are enormous while adequate enumeration and capturing of our people could also lead to increase in polling booths and distribution of empowerment and other things from the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, a seven day training programme had commenced for the workers that will be deployed to the field for the exercise .