The National Population Commission, NPC, Anambra State, has organized a ten-day and thirteen-day state-level training for Specialized Workforce and Facilitators for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

 

The opening ceremony of the training held in Awka attracted state and federal officials of NPC, Anambra State Government functionaries, and the one thousand, one hundred and sixty-three trainees.

Declaring the event open, the Federal Commissioner in charge of Anambra State in the commission, Mr. Chidi Ezeoke, disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the conduct of the next Population and Housing Census in April this year, and that the commission has put in place necessary preparatory activities aligned with international best practices to make it a huge success.

He stressed that the 2023 Population and Housing Census will be the first fully digital census in Nigeria, and it is important that the workforce to be employed is adequately equipped with the necessary skills needed for the responsibilities that will be assigned, hence a comprehensive training strategy has been developed in that regard.

 

The Federal Commissioner told the participants that they are expected to exemplify the highest moral and ethical conduct and put in more hard work, which he said is needed for the overall success of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, and enjoined them to display maximum commitment in the training programme and towards the successful conduct of the census.

Mr. Ezeoke assured Ndi Anambra, Nigeria and the international community of the readiness of the commission to conduct a credible, reliable and acceptable 2023 Population and Housing Census.

 

In his remark, the Anambra State Commissioner for Culture, Tourism and Entertainment, Mr. Don Onyenji, noted that Governor Chukwuma Soludo understands the economics of population census, a reason he established the Anambra State Census Committee, with the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Solo Chukwulobelu, as the Committee Chairman, for them to work together with the NPC for a productive outcome of the exercise.

 

He charged the participants to take ownership of the exercise, and put in their best for the success of the exercise.

Describing the training as comprehensive, the Anambra State Director, NPC, Dr. Joachim Ulasi, expressed satisfaction with the educational qualifications of Ndi Anambra that applied to work as Facilitators and Enumerators for the census, expressing hope that they will deliver.

 

He noted that afterwards, the participants will step down the training to local government level, which he said will begin on the sixteenth of February.

 

Speaking on the oath of secrecy which the participants sworn , the Director Legal, NPC, Dr. Chioma Umeh-Kalu, represented by Barrister Bernard Chimezie, said the essence is to ensure that everything the trainees are doing in the course of the exercise is in line with the provisions of the law.

 

The event was taking of the oath of secrecy by the participants led by Chief Magistrate Genevieve Osakwe of Ekwulobia Magistrate Court.