NPC promises to release census figures of every locality

Seeks NBS, NIPOST, INEC, others’ support for exercise
The National Population Commission (NPC), yesterday, said it would release the breakdown of the results of the population and housing census of every locality, saying that it won’t release an omnibus figure like the previous exercises.

The NPC also said that President Muhammadu Buhari would receive the compendium of localities as approved by stakeholders before the exercise. It, therefore, implored the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to work with the commission to achieve excellent results.

The Federal Commissioner representing Ekiti State in the NPC, Mr. Ayodeji Ajayi, who spoke on behalf of the National Chairman, Alhaji Nasir Isa Kwarra, in Ado-Ekiti during a two-day workshop organised by the Commission for stakeholders to vet and approve the final list of localities for the 2023 population and housing census.

Ajayi said that the NPC had already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NIPOST to use the results of the compendium of locality to produce zip code for its operation.

The NPC boss said that Nigeria’s population advantage would continue to be its greatest asset if positively harnessed for national development. Ajayi said the NPC was desirous of conducting a reliable and acceptable population and housing census in 2023 for proper planning and development at all levels of government.

The NPC commissioner said the commission would rewrite the history positively and bequeath onto the nation a population census that can drive national planning and development effectively.