From Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ahead of the April 2023 population and housing census in Nigeria, the National Population Commission (NPC) has solicited the support and cooperation of stakeholders in Ebonyi state to ensure the success of the exercise in the 13 local government areas of the state.
Federal Commissioner of NPC in the state, Darlington Okereke, made the solicitation Friday during a press briefing to mark the commencement of trial census for the 2023 population and housing census in the state.
He reiterated the readiness of the Commission to deploy technological innovations to conduct a truly scientific census that will not only be accurate and reliable but also transparent and acceptable to all Nigerians.
He stated that the trial census will cover 9 out of the 13 local government areas in the state
According to him, the selected local government areas are ;Abakaliki, Izzi, Ohaukwu, Ezza South, Ezza North, Ishielu, Afikpo North, Onicha and Ivo.
He said the purpose of the exercise was to test all aspects of census operations “from planning to implementation including logistics arrangement and management, questionnaire design and format, training procedures, fieldwork operations, publicity, payment system, data processing , data tabulations and analysis.
“Notwithstanding all arrangements and precaution worked out by the Commission, the cooperation of all stakeholders remain paramount for the success of the Trial Census exercise” he said.