The Executive Chairman, National Population Commission NPC, Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra has asked media industry to partner with the commission towards ensuring the success of the forthcoming first digital census in Nigeria.
He made this assertion while declaring open the three day capacity building workshop organised by the commission for journalists.
He described journalists as a major stakeholders towards realizing an accurate, reliable, dependable, incontrovertible and successful census in 2023 in the country.
NPC chairman said the success story of the commission was the coverage of 772 local government areas out of 774 enumerated and subsequent pretest exercises.
He assured Nigerians that the new census will be ready in 2023 as efforts are being redoubled towards conducting a generally acceptable census.
Kwarra maintained that the trial census to be conducted in June is expected to test the efficacy and readiness of the commission to take Nigeria to another phase of development in all ramifications with a successful headcount.
He commended development partners for being partners in progress, while appealing to other stakeholders locally and internationally to ensure the success of the forthcoming exercise.
“Census is a social and collective responsibility of all and sundry and an obligation that we must achieve.” Kwarra stated.
The Executive Chairman opined that the roles of journalists in this regard cannot be overemphasised particularly in the area of advocacy, churning out the right information,and awareness, while commending Nigerian government for creating an enabling environment through timely funding .
He wishes the members of the fourth estate of the realm a happy deliberation and training, stating that conducting a new head count in Nigeria is an obligation that is sacrosanct.
