Trial census under way in Oyo State

The Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission in Oyo State, Mr Eyitayo Oyetunji,  has said that the enumeration of persons for the “Trial Census“ is underway in the state.

Oyetunji said that the trial census was s a major pre-census activity for the 2023 Population and Housing Census which was flagged-off two weeks ago.

“Training of functionaries was carried out throughout the federation for 12 days from June 27th to July 8. Thereafter, functionaries were deployed to the selected enumeration areas in the nine designated Local Government Areas (LGAs) to commence building numbering and household listing.

“I am happy to announce that building numbering and household listing was completed successfully in Oyo State on July 15 without any hitches or untoward incident.

“I wish to seize this opportunity to acknowledge and to appreciate the support and cooperation of the communities where the exercise took place and to also thank all stakeholders, especially the security outfits that were at hand to ensure the safety and protection of our functionaries.

“Validation of the output of the building numbering and household listing was carried out from July  17 to July 18 2022 and the report again is that the Oyo state team did excellently well to the extent that all the enumeration areas were successfully validated without any reported record of inconsistency,” he said.

Oyetunji said that actual enumeration of persons for the trial census is commencing nationwide fully in one LGA in six states.

“One from each of the geo-political zones and in some selected Enumeration Areas (EAS) in nine  LGAs in each of the remaining 31 states of the federation and the FCT.

“This started July 20 and to end on July 24,  to be followed by a mop-up exercise from July 25to July 29 2022,” he said.

He added that the in Oyo State, the zero hour for actual enumeration was marked by the enumeration of special transient population in a motor park at Ile-Abu, Ogo-Oluwa LGA at midnight this morning July 20.

“A total of 90 enumerators and nine supervisors are involved in the actual enumeration exercise in Oyo State. Enumeration is taking place in nine designated LGAs.

“ Five enumeration areas have been selected for the exercise in each of these LGAs. The selection of both the LGAS and EAs was done through scientific sampling.

“Oyo Central Senatorial Zone has lle-Abu and Odo-Oba in Ogo Oluwa LGA; Akobo in Lagelu LGA and Bota and Odo-Ona Elewe in Oluyole LGA.

“ Oyo North Senatorial Zone has Iwere-lle in Iwajowa LGA; Otu in Itesiwaju LGA and Alaga and Budo Anfani in Atisbo LGA.  Ayete in Ibarapa North LGA; Omi Adio in Ido LGA and Oluyoro in Ibadan North East LGA,” he said.

He said that the trial census was a full “dress rehearsal” of the main census.

Oyetunji said that during the exercise enumerators would canvass all questions that would be canvassed during the main census next year.

“The questions cover age, sex, marital status, educational attainment, work status, migration, disability, mortality and housing questions as it was the case in the 2006 census.

“ Questions on religion and ethnicity will not be canvassed. There will be no use of papers throughout the actual enumeration process. Enumerators will collect information using handheld tablets in which the questionnaires have already been installed.

“Information collected by respective enumerators will be uploaded to the commission’s central server in the cloud on a daily basis after each day’s work has been certified by the supervisor.

“The pair of Enumerators will move from household to household within their enumeration area to cover all the residential buildings already stored on the satellite digital maps in their tablets.

“Enumerators can download their enumeration area maps only when they are physically within their enumeration area. This methodology is to guarantee the accuracy of the census by ensuring that all persons are enumerated only once and in the right place,” he said.

He, however, solicited the continued support and cooperation of the community leaders and the general populace where actual enumeration for the trial census will take place.

“I assure that in line with international rules on demographic data collection, all information collected will be accorded utmost confidentiality and will be used only for statistical and developmental planning purposes.

“I enjoin all persons to kindly answer all the questions that enumerators will canvass,” he said

Oyetunji also pleaded  with the respective security outfits, including the Nigerian Police, the Civil Defence Corps, Vigilante and Amotekun personnel to extend their usual cooperation towards ensuring the safety and protection of functionaries throughout actual enumeration.

“This will be from July 20 to  July 28  when both actual enumeration and the mop exercise will be concluded.  I challenge all persons in the selected enumeration areas to make sure they are counted because they count.