The National Population Commission has ruled out the feasibility of the national population and housing census scheduled for 2016, blaming late preparation and inadequacy of other resources for the project.
Speaking at a recent media forum in Abuja, Chairman of the Commission, Eze Duru-Iheoma (SAN), stated that in order to ensure accurate result, the NPC should have prepared two years before 2016.
“We set out plan for 2016 census because going by the United Nation’s principles and guidelines for census, it should hold between five and 10 years. The census ought to hold in 2016 going by the fact that the last census was held in 2006. The reality on ground is that it requires a minimum of two years to plan for a census even if you have all the money,” Duru-Iheoma said.
The NPC chairman who was represented by the Federal Commissioner for Population representing Enugu State, Dr. Festus Uzor, added that the commission required 1.1 million enumerators and over 50, 000 supervisors to give the nation an accurate census.
He urged journalists to give their support in terms of sensitisation and publicity towards achieving “incontrovertible and accurate national population and housing census rescheduled for 2017.
The commission also said it would adopt the use of biometric data technology for the proposed 2017 population and housing census, saying that the lessons learnt from previous exercises underscored the need for the technology to ensure data auditability and credibility.
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