By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
No fewer than 50 journalists were on Monday in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, trained by the National Population Commission on how to effectively report the forthcoming 2023 population and housing census.
Addressing journalists at the opening ceremony of the training workshop, which took place at the Conference Hall of the NPC, Calabar, the federal commissioner representing Cross River State at the NPC Navy Capt. Charles Ogwa, rtd., urged participants not to joke with the training as it would help in equipping them with the skills that would assist them to analyse every activity associated with the forthcoming census.
Ogwa, who spoke on the topic: “You Count, Be Counted,” stated that journalists have the greatest role to play through out the period the exercise would last, as they have a responsibility to sensitize and mobilise the people towards a successful conduct of the exercise.
The NPC commissioner charged journalists to assist the commission in playing the key role of mobilising and sensitizing Nigerians for the census, which he said is critical to national planning and development.
On the rationale behind the training, Ogwa stated that the training exercise is organised to acquaint media men with the processes involved, and to enable them understand the kind of technology involved in the exercise, so that they would be in a proper position to sensitize Nigerians about digital census which the nation is about to witness.
According to the NPC commissioner, the 2023 census is not just going to be like previous ones, but would be conducted digitally.
He stressed further that this explains why the commission developed self-help models for the exercise, adding that the census will aid economic planning and national development.
He said, “Nigeria is systematically adopting digital cartography and GIS innovation
“People are linked with our modules purely computer base. You get abreast with what is obtainable through a dash board develop for the exercise.”
The resource person at the training, Mr. Walter Eteng, while reviewing a paper written by the NPC Director of Cartography, Mrs. Geraldine Ngozi Arukwe, spoke on the EAD objectives, role of maps in census activities, EAD strategies, EAD organisation and EAD outcomes.
Speaking on the topic, “Enumeration Area Demarcation, EAD, for the 2023 Population and Housing Census, Eteng stressed that it would help in the facilitation of smooth enumeration of inhabitants during the enumeration period, calling on residents of the state to support the commission for the purpose of the exercise to be actualized.
Also speaking, the NPC state director, Billy Eteng, stated that with a projected growth rate of 3.2 percent and estimated population of 200 million, Nigeria is likely to become third most populous country in the world by 2050, soliciting for support from all to enable the commission conduct a successful exercise.
NPC officials lauded the President Muhammadu Buhari administration for supporting the commission towards a successful conduct of the proposed March/April census.
