From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Enugu

The National Population Commission (NPC) has reassured Nigerians and the international community of its commitment and readiness to conduct a credible, reliable and acceptable population and housing census.

It said it has already introduced new technologies to ensure that the exercise was reliable, credible and acceptable.

Giving the assurance at the official flag-off of 10-day state-wide training of facilitators for the 2023 Population and Housing Census at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), International Conference Centre, Enugu, the NPC Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State, Ejike Ezeh, said the exercise would be carried out scientifically.

 “For us in the commission, getting the 2023 Population and Housing Census right is not just an option but an absolute necessity in our quest to deliver a credible, reliable, acceptable and verifiable 2023 census. The commission will leave no stone unturned to ensure that the 2023 census is carried out meticulously and scientifically.

“To ensure that the 2023 census does not lose focus in view of predetermined objectives and processes, monitoring and evaluation (ME), instruments have been developed to assess the extent to which objectives are being met or not and whether the processes are being adhered to or not,” Ezeh, represented by the state director, Mrs. Ngozi Onyia said.

He, therefore, charged the participants to give full attention to deliberations at the training and maximize the golden opportunity presented to them by the Commission to expand their horizon in the understanding of the processes of census-taking.

Leading the ad-hoc staff of NPC on oath of secrecy, Chief Magistrate of Enugu State Judicial Service Commission, Uzoamaka Ozoeze, enjoined them to obey the law of the Commission, warning that defaulters would be punished accordingly.