The United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, says that insecurity in Nigeria should not be the basis for opposition to the conduct of the Population and Housing Census in 2023.
UNFPA’s Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms Ulla Mueller, made this known to journalists when she received the Chairman of Nigeria’s National Population Commission, Mr Isa Kwarra at the United Nations House in Abuja Nigeria’s Capital.
She also said that if a census can be conducted in countries like Afghanistan during the war through a professionally managed census it can also be replicated in Nigeria.
Ms Mueller said with UNFPA partnering with over 150 countries to conduct censuses, that would deploy various kinds of assistance to ensure the 2023 census has a credible outcome with quality and transformational data.
While promising its utmost support for the smooth and safe conduct of the exercise, she said Nigeria has a great history of the census which should be appreciated.
On his part, the Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Nasir Isa Kwarra said the commission had conducted several advocacy visits to heads of security agencies and promised that the census would hold without any issues concerning security.
Dominica Nwabufo
