NPC Set To Commence Census, Partners Journalists

By Onyinyechi Nwankwo…

The commission saddled with the sole responsibility of conducting census in Nigeria, National Population Commission, NPC, Imo State Chapter, has declared its readiness to undertake this year’s census this month, March, partnering Imo journalists to ensure a successful outing.

Speaking at the one-day capacity workshop for journalists on effective reporting of 2023 Population and Housing Census, organized by NPC, held at the NUJ Press Center, New Owerri, on Tuesday, the Federal Commissioner representing Imo State at NPC, Prof. Uba Nnabue, noted that the press is a vital instrument to achieving any project successfully considering its powerful impacts on the people, which reason the commission decided to partner with it.

He said that the commission’s synergy with journalists on the census project was for them to help the commission successfully  actualize its mandate and goal, urging the media to take the project as theirs, putting in their best for a positive result of the census in Imo.

Thanking the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, the National Orientation Agency, NOA, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ for their support to the activities of the commission, Nnabue appealed to journalists to assist NPC in dissemination of the census information to people, sensitize them on the developmental benefits of census and convince them to present themselves to be counted.

The Commissioner earlier decorated the Chairman of Nigerian Union of Journalists, Senior Comrade Ifeanyi Nwanguma, the Chairperson of Imo State Nigerian Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Dr. Dorathy Nnaji, past Chairmen of NUJ, Chief Chris Akaraonye and Sir. Innocent Igwe, among others, as Census Ambassadors for Imo, charging them to push their desires towards propagation of census ideology for the actualization of the census in the state.

In their separate lectures on Processes and Methodology of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, Enumeration Area Demarcation of the Census, Technological Innovation for the Census, the Imo State Director of NPC, Barr. Ike Justice, Head of Department, Technical and Deputy Director Carto, Mr. Nkemdirim Okwaranozie  and Senior Public Affairs Officer of NPC, Bruno Okere respectively, affirmed the readiness of the commission to commence the digitalized census, having put in order the necessary things needed for an accurate census in Imo State.

The State Director of National Orientation Agency, Mrs. Maureen Oparaji, said the commission has been doing their best in sensitizing the people by engaging the clergy and others.

She noted the importance for journalists to help the commission in the sensitization, saying she is aware of the press capacity to impact positively on the society.

Appreciating the commission for acknowledging the worth of the press in information dissemination, as well as embracing the NUJ for this year’s census, Nwanguma and Nnaji assured NPC of the NUJ’s commitment to work for the commission for a successful census.