The National Population Commission has held a Summit in Gombe to garner the support of stakeholders in carrying out a successful Population and Housing Census in 2023.
Speaking at the opening of the summit and public presentation of the 2023 Census Project Document, the Federal Commissioner of the commission in Gombe State, Mr. Abubakar Mohammed Danburam, said the summit is being held to engage the relevant stakeholders in Gombe and get some feedback and their support for the successful conduct of the census in 2023.
Mr. Danburam said the summit would promote informed national conversation on the process and procedure for the census, as well as convince citizens to submit themselves for enumeration.
he said the summit in Gombe would provide the stakeholders a platform to offer clarification and receive feedback and suggestions on salient issues to the conduct of the census.
“ In the past, the commission has engaged many stakeholders, including UN Organisations, State Governors, the National Assembly, relevant MDAs, traditional and Religious leaders, youth and women groups, civil society organizations, Internally Displaced persons’ communities, and Disability groups among others in the development of the census instruments and there are great stakeholders’ inputs into the instruments,” said Mr. Danburam.
He said the commission was committed to ensuring acceptable census results by Nigerians, because preparations were on, as part of efforts to deliver a credible and reliable census, saying the data to be generated would meet International Best Standards for planning and developmental purposes.
According to him, in line with the recommendations of the United Nations, the 2023 census would be fully digitized, because the commission was deploying technology to conduct the census and enhance data quality.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of the Gombe State, who was represented by the Secretary to the Gombe State Government, Professor Ibrahim Njodi, said he considered the summit a rare privilege and vital for a state-level conversation for an effective census in 2023.
Governor Yahaya said the Gombe State Government had already set up a committee to go round all 11 local government areas to enlighten the public about the successful enumeration of the census.
He said Gombe State was convinced of the National Population Commission’s commitment to delivering a reliable, credible, and acceptable census.
The Gombe State Governor is delighted at the use of modern technology to conduct the census, which would enhance data quality, and inspire the confidence of Nigerians and the acceptability of the census results.
He gave the National Population Commission the assurances of an environment conducive to ensuring that everyone in the state was counted for the benefit of all citizens of the state.
