The Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise by the National Population Commission (NPC) has reached 75 per cent in Zamfara, the state’s Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, said on Friday.
Reports that the EAD exercise is part of the activities of the NPC ahead of the National Population Census expected to hold in 2023.
Dosara, in a statement, said that in its efforts to ensure 100 per cent completion of the EAD exercise in Zamfara, there was a joint meeting between state officials and the NPC.
The meeting was headed by the Federal Commissioner- in-charge of the commission in the state, Alhaji Muhammad Muttaka-Rini.
The meeting was to review the exercise with a view to concluding the EAD exercise recently conducted in all the 36 states of the federation and Abuja.
“The meeting which deliberated on the factors responsible for the non completion of the exercise also commended the Zamfara NPC office for its dogged performance in achieving 75 per cent completion of the exercise.
“This was in spite of the daunting security challenges.
“The meeting also commended local government councils and the traditional rulers in the state for playing greater roles in ensuring the conduct of the exercise to that level,” the commissioner said.
Muttaka-Rini, while briefing members on the situation in the control room, said the commission was able to reach 75 per cent completion of the exercise with Maru local government having only 43 per cent.
Muttaka-Rini said that Anka, Gummi, Bukkuyum, Birnin Magaji and Talata Mafara local government areas had completed 100 per cent, while Maradun, Bakura, Kaura Namoda and Shinkafi had reached 95 per cent completion.
According to him, in Gusau and Tsafe, the exercise has reached 90 per cent with Zurmi and Bungudu reaching 85 and 80 per cent respectively, giving a total of 75 per cent total work completion across the state.
Muttaka-Rini mentioned insecurity, electricity, local guide and transportation as some of the major challenges responsible for the commission’s inability to complete the exercise 100 per cent in the affected local government areas.
He noted that the commission had to use manual methodology to conduct the Enumeration Area Demarcation to avoid being left behind in the conduct of the exercise.
“The meeting agreed that the exercise will be100 per cent completed before the end of May, if the National headquarters of the NPC agrees to reopen its portal for Zamfara state.”