The upcoming national Population and Housing Census would be entirely digital, according to Alhaji Nasir Isa-Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), to improve accuracy and timeliness.
The NPC chairman announced this on Tuesday in Abuja at a reform seminar hosted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) on “National Development and the Imperative of 2023 Population and Housing Census.”
Isa-Kwarra was represented by Mrs. Adebayo Foluke, NPC Director of Data Quality Management.
He said data capture, processing and database management would be undertaken using CSPro, an open-source software developed by the US Census Bureau.
”Indeed, for Nigeria census, a bespoke hybrid census App which combines CensusPad and CSPro has been developed indigenously to facilitate collection and integration of rich geospatial and population data.
”Cloud computing systems will be used to handle data transfer during collection and data management and storage, another innovation which will improve efficiency and enhance the safety and security of the data.
“The results will be released and disseminated via both static and digital media or platforms to enable distilling of policy relevant and animated presentations (data visualisations) of user-friendly reports.”
He also said there will be identification and mapping of special population “to ensure that everyone is counted during the Population and Housing Census.
“It is usually important to identify special populations that are hard to reach or hard to count because of their profession, location or other characteristics.”
Isa-Kwarra assured that the identification and mapping of special populations in all local government areas would be done before the main census.
The chairman also said the Commission had launched a portal where Nigerians will be recruited to participate in the exercise.
”The commission has completed the Training of the Trainers (TOT) for the 2023 Population and Housing Census and stepped the training down to States and LGA level.
“The Commission in collaboration with other national stakeholders has finalised and commenced the presentation to the grassroots the final list of the localities, chiefly the Local Government Chairmen.
”Training of facilitators/enumerators is in the final phase of preparation for the 2023 Population and Housing Census”, he added.
He assured that the data generated from the 2023 Census would greatly assist in governance, the socio- economic planning and development of the country.
Isa-Kwarra said the Commission was irrevocably committed to positively rewrite the history of census in Nigeria.
“IDPs and other special camps and people living on the streets will all be captured; we are also collaborating with INEC, NIMC and other relevant offices for a successful exercise.
“We will deliver to this great nation accurate, reliable and acceptable census that will be purposefully relevant in the drive towards sustainable national development.
”The Commission is confident that the prospect for an accurate and reliable census appears brighter than ever,” he said.
The NPC chairman appealed to Nigerians to support the commission to give the country reliable demographic data through the forthcoming 2023 census.
Earlier, the Director-General, BPSR, Mr Dasuki Arabi said
the 2023 population and housing census would lay a sustainable basis for a planned and prosperous Nigeria.
He said that the exercise would provide accurate population size, revenue estimates, economic needs of the future, determine standard of living and sustainable economic policies.
”It also helps in knowing the number of immigrants, distribution of resources, provision of social amenities and investment decisions and allocation of parliamentary seats.
“Census details could provide the needed control data for validating information provided by persons that registered as new potential voters.”
Arabi added that the census would help update records on existing registered voters and provide information on those who have attained the age of franchise or even died.
