The National Population Commission yesterday sensitized critical stakeholders in Kwara state as part of the ongoing preparation for the 2023 population and housing census.
The one-day summit held at the Banquet hall of the government house, Ilorin in the presence of traditional rulers drawn from the three senatorial districts, religious leaders, public office holders, security agencies and other critical stakeholder in the state.
Declaring the summit open, Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission in Kwara State, Alhaji AbdulRazak Gidado stated that the goal of the Stakeholders Summit was to broaden state-level support base.
“It provides us with the unique opportunity to proactively engage the good people of Kwara state and get some positive feedback and invaluable cooperation and support, so that together, we can ensure the successful conduct of a credible and acceptable census next year.
“for the successful conduct of the 2023 Census, public awareness was very important such as its imperatives, methodology and timelines. Promotion of robust and informed conversation on the processes and procedures for the exercise.
“To solicit the cooperation and support of state level stakeholders for the conduct of the 2023 Census and provide a platform to offer clarification and receive feedback and suggestions on salient issues and concems related to the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census”
The Commissioner, however, thanked Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq for supporting the commission in the preparatory activities for the 2023 census, especially the enumeration area demarcation which has been fully carried out in all the 16 local government areas of the state.
Delivering a goodwill address, the chairman traditional council in Kwara state who is also an Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, represented by Balogun Gambari, Alhaji Mohammed Adebayo Aliyu, urged the traditional leaders and other stakeholders to be receptive and supportive by mobilising their localities to come out and be counted during the exercise.
Also at the summit, the secretary to the Kwara state government, Professor Mamman Saba Jibril, who represented the state governor emphasised on the need to provide Nigeria with accurate and reliable demographic data for policy formulation and planning for sustainable development.
Said the overarching vision of the 2023 census is to produce not only accurate, reliable and acceptable data figures, but also “inclusive and user-friendly census data.”
Also speaking at the summit, Chief Judge of Kwara State, Justice Durosylorun Kawu, represented by A.A.Adebara, lauded the idea of a digital census, said it will reduce the type of errors experienced in the previous census exercises.
