The National Population Commission (NPC) Thursday in Ilorin, Kwara state capital commenced training of field workers ahead of its Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise across the country.
The commission also said it has put in place measures to ensure compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols by field workers that will conduct the exercise.
Speaking on the commencement of EAD in Ilorin, Kwara state , the NPC chairman, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, said, “Necessary measures have been put in place to ensure that field functionaries are properly kitted and trained to observe all protocols as prescribed by the presidential task force on COVID-19 throughout the period of the exercise.”
Kwarra, whose speech was read by the NPC national commissioner in Kwara state, Alh Razak Gidado, said the commission has put in place adequate logistic arrangements for effective deployment of personnel and materials in all the local government areas where the EAD would be conducted.
The NPC chairman restated the commitment of the commission to deliver to the country a population and housing census that will stand the test of time.
“We shall continue all the means to avoid the pitfalls of the past.
“To this end, we solicit the support of all Nigerians as we embark on what is obviously going to be massive EAD activities across the nation.
“We also call on the state governors, security agencies, traditional rulers and community leaders to provide security, logistics support and conducive atmosphere for our functionaries to perform to their optimum,” Kwarra stated.
“Planning for census is anchored on the EAD as the basis for estimating both the human and material resources required for the census. In essence, the success of a credible and accurate census depends very much on the quality and reliability of the EAD. It’s however necessary to state unambiguously that the EAD exercise is not the enumeration of persons living in the country.
“Its outcome is in no way the determinant of the population of any locality, local government area or state. The EAD is simply a preparatory activity before the actual census enumeration and it should not be equated with census,” he added.
The 11th phase of the EAD would be conducted in 95 local government areas across the 36 states of the federation.
In Kwara state, the exercise would be conducted in Irepodun, Oke- Ero and Ekiti local government areas – all in Kwara south.
