The National Population Commission (NPoC) has called for government and public support to the ongoing Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa.
The Federal Commissioner of the commission, Dr Clifford Zirra, made the call in a press briefing on the exercise in Yola.
Zirra said the commission has made adequate arrangements for the exercise which started June 30 would last up to July 22 in selected LGAs nationwide.
Zira said the support of local government councils and tradition rulers were needed in the provision of guides and accommodation for the field staff, while state governments and security agencies were also expected to play their role for a hit free exercise.
The federal commissioner explained that the exercise which was key steps towards the successful conduct of next population and housing census was so far going on smoothly in Michika Local Government Area.
Zirra who said all the 21 local government areas nationwide would undergo the exercise before the census proper pointed out that so far the EAD of Numan, Mayo-Belwa, Yola North and Girei Local Government Areas of Adamawa had been concluded in previous exercises.
“As you are aware, the EAD is one of the core preparatory activities for the census exercise; its constitutes the foundation on which the entire census architecture stands..
“The EAD is the vehicle that drives the entire census process. This is why we in the commission have resolved to get it right in our quest to deliver to the nation an accurate, reliable, acceptable and verifiable census..
“This activity which is key in any census exercise has not as a result of paucity of funds proceeded with the speed required. However, a gradual but meticulous approach is being adopted using available resources to ensure that the entire country is demarcated in preparation for the next census,” Zirra said.
Zirra who observed that continuous suspension of has led to all manners of projections of and proclamation, urged critical stakeholders, particularly the media to support the commission towards the realization of the conduct of next census.
Federal Government is yet to fix a tentative date or year for the next population and housing census in Nigeria.
