Next census will be fully digital, transformative, green, says Niger NPC commissioner

Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC), Niger State, Muhammad Usman, has said the next population and housing census will be fully digital, transformative, green and it will differ in nature and scope from previous ones.

He revealed this during a media chat with journalists, held at IBB Pen House, Tunga, Minna, yesterday.

Usman, who explained that the Commission had fully delivered on some of its determination to conduct a successful and acceptable census, stressed that before postponement of the census across the country, the Commission had implemented 33 out of 35 activities, while the remaining two were ongoing.

He noted that this was a way of testing the newly procured Personal Digital Assistance (PDAs), testing and retesting of census application, and the Commission is only waiting for directive to commence the census exercise, which would now be the prerogative of the incoming administration.

The NPC boss emphasised that postponement of the 2023 census by the Federal Government had nothing to do with the Commission’s unpreparedness as claimed in certain quarters.

His words: “So far, the Commission has made land mark successes, which include: enumeration area demarcation and pretest of instruments, verification of second pretest, first and second level management training, validation of census instruments, identification and mapping of special population, among others.

The NPC Niger Commissioner further hinted that the Commission has been directed to keep on with its activities such as sensitisation, mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation of key processes.