The National Population Commission, NPC, has announced the commencement of field work for the first pre-test for population and housing census in Anambra State.
The chairman, National Population Commission, Honourable Nasir Kwarra made the announcement in Awka, while briefing the press on the commission’s readiness for the exercise.
Correspondent, Blessing Uchendu reports that while speaking at the briefing , Mr. Kwarra, who spoke through the Federal Commissioner of the NPC in Anambra State, Mr. Chidi Ezeoke said in order to effectively enumerate all Nigerians within a reasonable period, it is imperative to divide the whole land mass into small units for easy coverage by a team of enumerators during census enumeration.
He said the exercise is aimed at testing the census methodology, the questionnaire and data collection methods, the manuals for the field staff, instruction manuals, data editing and coding, data processing and tabulation in preparation for the actual census.
The NPC chairman listed Awka South, Ekwusigo and Dunukofia Council Areas where the pre-test exercise would be conducted in Anambra State including towns under them, which include Okpuno, Awka, Ichi, Ozubulu, Ukwulu and Ifitedunu.
He also stated that the objectives of the exercise are among other things, to assess the quality of Enumerations Area maps already created, understand the demographic and geographic changes that occurred in the Enumeration Areas between 2016-2018 and their implications for census enumeration as well as to assess the educational and other qualifications of potential census enumerators and logistical support from both the states and local government areas.
While cautioning that the pre-test is not the actual census but a mirror, which the commission would look at for its readiness for the main exercise, Honourable Kwarra appealed to respondents from the selected local government areas and EAs to give maximum support to the interviewers and answer all questions truthfully, assuring that all information tendered would be treated with utmost confidentiality.
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