2023 Census: Over 14,000 Ad-hoc Field Officers To Be Engaged In FCT …to sustain advocacy despite postponement

By: Ben Ukeji

The Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC), in charge of the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT), Hon. Joseph Shazin Kwali, has assured the residents that the Commission will sustain its public advocacy it began before the postponement of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census to safeguard both human and material resources already expended on the exercise.

The Commissioner said, it is important for the Commission to sustain the sensitization and reinforced its activities to maximize the resources already spent, so that the nation does not need to start preparations afresh whenever a new date is fixed.

Kwali, who spoke during an interaction with Media Executives, Wednesday at Merit House, Maitama District, Abuja, also said the planned Digital Census will lay a proper foundation for a quality Census that would accurately capture the nation’s demographic data.

He stated that the Commission had before the postponement, effectively carried out Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) across the 36 States of the federation including the FCT.

The Commissioner revealed that the NPC will engage 14, 969 functionaries on an ad-hoc basis in the FCT for the conduct of the Census, which he said remains a varietal instrument for the socio-economic development of the nation.

The FCT-NPC Boss affirmed that all the prospective field functionaries were trained, including facilitators, Data Centers monitoring, evaluation as well as supervisors.

Kwali explained that out of the 14,969, field ad-hoc personnel, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has the highest number of 9,804 because of its large Enumeration Areas, while the other Area Councils shared the remaining spots according to the numbers of EAs in their domains.

The former Chairman of Kwali Area Council disclosed that the Commission has taken delivery of about 500 thousand Digital Personal Assistants, and assured that it will deliver a credible and acceptable National Population and Housing Census.

Kwali said the Commission is poised to bequeath to the nation, accurate, reliable, and evidence-based demographic data for development planning.

According to him, the
postponement of the 2023 Census from May this year, to a later date will allow the Commission to reappraise its preparation and perfect its plans for a successful national head count.

He observed that the postponement was to give the new Government time to settle down and make inputs to the census.

The Commissioner noted that the Federal Government had while announcing the postponement of the exercise, urged the Commission to continue with its advocacy and other activities that would assist it to conduct a hitch-free. Census.

Earlier, the Territory Director of National Population Commission, FCT, Madiu Zakariyau commended the Media for the robust partnership.

He said the FCT Office of the NPC will continue to interface with the media for adequate sensitization of the public.

In his remarks, Director, Information and Communication, FCT, Muhammad Hazat Sule, who is representing the FCT Administration on the Publicity Committee of the 2023 Census, said the Administration is ever willing to support the Commission to effectively discharge its statutory function.

He said the FCT Administration has plans to fully mobilized residents in the nooks and crannies of the Territory to participate in the forthcoming Census whenever it is fixed.

It will be recalled that the Administration of former President, Muhammadu Buhari had postponed the 2023 National Population and Housing Census from May this year to a date yet to be announced by the new government under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Various speakers at the event alluded to the importance of the Census in planning for the nation’s development.