METRO 2023 Census: NPC to deploy 14,000 ad-hoc field officers in FCT

By Stanley Onyekwere

No fewer than 14, 969 field ad-hoc personnel will be engaged by the National Population Commission (NPC), for the conduct of the 2023 Census, in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Out of the total number of field ad-hoc officers to be deployed, the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has the highest number of 9,804, given its large Enumeration Areas (EAs), while the other five Area Councils shared the remaining spots, due to the numbers of EAs in their respective domains.

Disclosing this, NPC Federal Commissioner, in charge of the FCT, Hon. Joseph Shazin Kwali,said the planned Digital Census will lay a proper foundation for a quality Census that would accurately capture the nation’s demographic data.

Kwali, who spoke during a chat with some Media Executives, recently in Abuja, revealed that all the prospective field functionaries were trained, including facilitators, Data Centers monitoring, evaluation as well as supervisors, as the Commission had before the postponement, effectively carried out Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) in FCT and across the 36 States of the federation.

The former Chairman of Kwali Area Council disclosed that the Commission has taken delivery of about 500 thousand Digital Personal Assistants, and assured that it will deliver a credible and acceptable National Population and Housing Census.

Kwali said the Commission is poised to bequeath to the nation, accurate, reliable, and evidencebased demographic data for development planning.

According to him, the postponement of the 2023 Census from May this year, to a later date will allow the Commission to reappraise its preparation and perfect its plans for a successful national head count.

He observed that the postponement was to give the new Government time to settle down and make inputs to the census.

The Commissioner noted that the Federal Government had while announcing the postponement of the exercise, stressed need to continue with advocacy and other activities that would assist to conduct a hitch-free. Census.

According to him, it is important for the Commission to sustain the sensitization and reinforced its activities to maximize the resources already spent, so that the nation does not need to start preparations afresh whenever a new date is fixed.

He however, assured FCT residents that the Commission will sustain its public advocacy it began before the postponement of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census to safeguard both human and material resources already expended on the exercise.

Earlier, the Territory Director of National Population Commission, FCT, Madiu Zakariyau commended the Media for the robust partnership.

He said the FCT Office of the NPC will continue to interface with the media for adequate sensitization of the public.

Also speaking, Director, Information and Communication, FCTA, Muhammad Hazat Sule, said the. FCT Administration is ever willing to support the Commission to effectively discharge its statutory function.

Sule, who is representing the FCT Administration on the Publicity Committee of the 2023 Census, disclosed that the Administration has plans to fully mobilized residents in the nooks and crannies of the Territory to participate in the forthcoming Census whenever it is fixed.