The Nigerian Population Commission is continuing it’s grassroots advocacy programmes to enlist communities into its upcoming National Population Census. The census which is set to commence in May 2022, is set to be the first-ever digital census in the country.
The traditional ruler of the Etsu people of Kwali in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Dr. Shaban Audu, the Nizazor lll, has pledged his support for credible National Population and Housing Census in the country.
The Kwali paramount ruler ,who spoke to a team of journalists said that the Nigerian National Population Commission, NPC, should ensure that accurate and credible census is conducted and acceptable by stakeholders in the country.
Dr Audu also told journalists that “credible data in Nigeria would help in policy making and National planning”.
The Nizazor lll further called on the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to do whatever it takes to ensure that proper census is done in the country because figures are very important for all national developmental growth.
He added that to ensure acceptable and credible National Population and Housing Census in Nigeria, “We as traditional rulers, it’s our duty to actually mobilize and educate the people about census.”
“Census is a very serious business for the nation, and every citizen must participate in census taking and it’s going to be a very rigorous activity for the traditional rulers and community leaders”. And that “Traditional Rulers should not take chances”. He said.
“We need to know that the nation need to know how many we are in this country so not knowing the people alone, but the categories of people, because we need to know what facilities we have to provide for Nigerians.”
“How many people are incapacitated, people who cannot see people who cannot work, deaf and dumb, these are issues that are related to census. And once if these things are not captured in national census it means planning itself is not going to work well for development of Nigeria”.
He added.
“So, with these at the background, it is our duty as traditional rulers to educate and mobilize people towards getting the correct census figures for our country,” He further said.
“If we really need the census, the President is privileged to make proclamation to give Nigeria the right figures, other countries are listening to us. Other countries want to be like Nigeria.
The Etsu stated this while reacting to census proclamation at his Palace in Kwali Area Council in Abuja Nigeria’s Capital, where hosted a team of journalists.
He said that “the country was due for another national census since 2016, being 10 years after the last one was conducted in 2006.”
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