Chief Walter Nwafor, a community leader in Oba, Idemili South Local government of Anambra on Sunday lauded the National Population Commission (NPC) for the ongoing trial census in the country.
Nwafor told our correspondent that the community would remain grateful to the population commission for giving them an opportunity to be counted after many years.
He described the exercise as interesting and seamless both on the part of the community and the enumerators with the deployment of digital equipment.
The community leader, who reiterated his satisfaction with the preparedness of NPC, assured of his people’s cooperation.
Also, Ms Chinelo Unogu, an enumerator in the area, said that the exercise had been hitch- free without any challenges.
Unogu explained that they had recorded tremendous success in the exercise with the cooperation of the community members.
Earlier, Mr Chidi Ezeoke, Federal Commissioner, Anambra, National Population Commission (NPC) said the trial census wa ongoing in 565 Enumeration Areas (EAs) of Idemili South.
Ezeoke who expressed the commitment of the commission to delivering on a credible, verifiable and acceptable census, said that the exercise would be all inclusive.
He described census as a very critical exercise imperative for national planning and development of every country.
“It is important we know our actual number through a credible enumeration than projections.”
He called on Nigerians, especially Anambra people, to take advantage of the trial census to be counted for state and national development.
Reports have it that trial is ongoing in specific areas as one Local Government Area will be fully covered in one state in each of the six geo political zones and one supervisory area in three LGAs in each of the three senatorial districts in the remaining 30 states and the FCT.
The six local government areas that are being fully enumerated are Toungo, Adamawa State – North East; Daura, Katsina State, North West; Karu, Nasarawa State, North Central.
Others are Imeko-Afon, Ogun State, South West; Idemili South, Anambra State, South East; Bass, Bayelsa State, South South.
In total, 7,718 Enumeration Areas (EAs) have been selected for the Trial Census to test run suitability and readiness for the actual census in 2023.