The Minister of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, has charged the media and members of the FCT Publicity Committee of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census to exhibit a high degree of diligence and professionalism in its duty of information dissemination to the residents of the Territory.
The Minister gave the charge, Wednesday while inaugurating members of the FCT Publicity Committee on the 2023 National Population and Housing Census at the Merit House, Maitama District, Abuja.
Bello said Census is an essential element for National development and urged the Committee to ensure adequate information dissemination to all the nooks and crannies of the FCT.
The Minister, represented at the occasion by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, said the importance of the National Population and Housing Census for the socio-economic development of the nation can not be overemphasized.
Adesola explained that the Census will assist the FCT Administration and indeed, the Federal Government in planning for the provision of basic social amenities such; as Schools, Hospitals, and Markets among others for the benefit of the residents.
“The successful conduct of the exercise will help the FCT Administration to sufficiently plan for the Agricultural sector, Education, and Health and will also assist in creating more jobs opportunity for the increasing population, especially for young people.”
He expressed dissatisfaction with the turnout of residents in the just concluded 2023 general elections in the FCT, and challenged the Committee to adopt strategic models of communication to break the barrier of residents’ insensitivity to government programmes.
According to him, adequate publicity of the activities leading to the National headcount will ensure the full participation of citizens, thereby, eliminating religious and cultural beliefs that could inhibit the success of the exercise.
The Permanent Secretary stated that the forthcoming Census will enable the incoming Administration to plan for the provision of infrastructural needs of the populace.
He, therefore, urged the Committee to see the assignment as a national duty and give it all the attention it deserves.
The Permanent Secretary assured that the FCT Administration will continue to partner with the National Population Commission to achieve its mandate.
Earlier, the State Director of the National Population Commission for FCT, Zakari Madiu, said the FCT Office of the Commission is determined to ensure a credible and acceptable head count.
Madiu assured that no stone will be left unturned in its efforts toward a successful Census and, therefore, urged the members of the Publicity Committee to fashion out ways of reaching hard-to-reach communities across the FCT.
PIAK
