From Agaju Madugba, Katsina
Ahead of the scheduled 2023 population and housing census, the National Population Commission (NPC) in Katsina on Thursday commenced a two-day workshop for stakeholders on the compendium of localities for the project.
According to the NPC, the compendium of localities in census taking is a tool for census data dissemination as well as for national planning and development.
“The 2023 Population and Housing Census results will be released up to the lowest level of the census entities which could be as small as a camp,” the Katsina State NPC Federal Commissioner, Bala Almu Banye, said at the programme.
He said: “The Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise collected data on all localities with a standard definition of a locality as a distinct population cluster (also designated as inhabited place, populated centre, settlement) in which the inhabitants live in neighbouring sets of living quarters, has a name or a locally recognised status.
“It also includes fishing camps, hamlets, mining camps, ranches, farms, market towns, villages, towns, cities and many other population clusters that meet the criteria specified above.
“Wards, quarters or housing estates within a town or city were not regarded as a locality.
“Fragmentation of localities may hinder the rapid development of a Local Government Area (LGA) as a major developmental intervention programme.
“It should be noted however that more localities do not translate to a higher population for the LGA.
“I wish to use this opportunity to assure Nigerians that the Commission is irrevocably committed to positively rewriting the history of censuses in Nigeria and deliver to this great nation accurate, reliable and acceptable census that will be purposefully relevant in the drive towards sustainable national development.”