The National Population Commission (NPC) in Akwa Ibom State has expressed its readiness for the conduct of the 2023 population and housing census.
The NPC’s state Commissioner, Chief Benedict Ukpong, made the disclosure on Tuesday during a meeting with media executives in the state.
Ukpong said the commission had completed all the preparatory activities towards the census, including enumeration area demarcation, conduct of pretests and trial census, recruitment and training of census field staff, procurement and configuration of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), establishment of ICT infrastructures across the country, logistics support, advocacy and publicity activities.
He said the commission has also rented and in some cases renovated and furnished existing offices in the Local Government Areas in the State to provide a conducive working environment for the Census exercise. Similar renovation work had been carried out at the State Office of the Commission with the installation of 24 hours internet service and solar electric power in line with the requirements of a completely digital and green Census.
Ukpong said the processes and systems put in place for the census are therefore being currently reviewed to determine what needs to be done to ensure that the preparations do not become obsolete for the census.
He said the recruitment of the ad-hoc workers had been completed before the postponement through a rigorous online process in which over 25,000 workers have been screened and approved for the Census exercise in the State.
“The next categories of personnel to be trained are the Supervisors and Enumerators,” Ukpong said.
He said the commission has acquired Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and other equipment for the 2023 Census. Over 2,000 pieces of the Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), generators, power banks, and other materials had been delivered to the Commission in the State and are securely warehoused in the State in readiness for the exercise.
“We have also distributed the needed materials to the Local Government Area Offices of the Commission in the State,” Ukpong said. “We have made adequate arrangement for the storage and security of this equipment to prevent damages and theft.”
Ukpong urged the media to partner with the commission to sensitize the public on the importance of the census and the need to cooperate with the census officials during the exercise.
The Media Executives, who spoke at the event, pledged their support for the census and promised to use their platforms to sensitize the public on the importance of the exercise.
The meeting was moderated by a top media executive, Dr. Udeme Nana. Present at the event were heads of both public and private media organizations in the state, including Mr. Amos Etuk, the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists while the Director, National Population Commission, Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Emmanuel Edem gave a welcome remark.
