We will get 2023 Census right – NPC

The National Population Commission (NPC) says it is poised to give the country a transparent and accurate head count in 2023.

The NPC Federal Commissioner in Ebonyi, Mr Darlington Okereke, said this on Friday in Abakaliki, while briefing newsmen on the implementation of the trial population and housing census.

Okereke expressed optimism that the commission would get it right during the main census, given the huge success it recorded during the trial census.

He described the training of functionaries and massive advocacy as some of the strategies adopted to achieve the success at the trial census.

Okereke said that 90 enumerators and nine supervisors took part in the trial census.

According to him, the activities started with house numbering and household listing from July 13 to July 15.

“This was followed by the validation of enumeration area frames, census night, person’s enumeration and mop up operations,” he said.

Okereke said that the commission adopted Computer-assisted Personal Interview data collection method and questionnaire, amongst other methodologies embedded in the Personal Digital Assistant.

He identified the absence of household members to be enumerated, outright refusal by some persons and poor accommodation for functionaries as some of the challenges suffered by the functionaries.

“Well, we had some shortcomings, we will look inwards and re-strategise in such areas, including continuous public education and formation of Ebonyi Census Publicity Committee, amongst others,” Okereke said.

In a brief remark, the NPC State Director, Mrs Julia Manyike, thanked the State Government and stakeholders for their support toward the success of the trial census.