The National Population Commission, Anambra State in collaboration with National Orientation Agency, Anambra State has embarked on a state level capacity building workshop on 2023 population and housing census in Awka.
The workshop headed by the Federal Commissioner representing Anambra State in NPC, Mr Chidi Ezeoke, saw stakeholders gather to brainstorm on how to synergize in order to enhance sensitization and mobilization of Ndi Anambra and residents in Anambra for a successful conduct of the 2023 population and housing census.
The Commissioner in his welcome address said that the partnership for the 2023 census will focus on building the capacity of NOA functionaries to have deeper understanding of census methodology to effectively sensitize and mobilize the people for the census and the field sensitization activities such as community sensitization, street campaigns and advocacy visits by the joint team officials to the twenty-one LGAs in Anambra State.
While stating that with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari, there is top gear preparations for successful implementation of the census exercise, Commissioner Ezeoke said that the overall goal is to inform Ndi Anambra of the vision of the commission so as to draw their support towards ensuring state and LGAs corporation for the implementation of the 2023 census which will be used to deliver credible and reliable data which can be used for sustainable development planning.
The commissioner noted that the preparatory activities are reassuring as the commission has conducted the first and second census pre-test exercise as well as the trial census to test the census instruments and the commission’s readiness for the census. +
In his address, the Anambra State NPC director, Dr Joachim Ulasi, stated that the collaboration with the NOA is to strategize on how to sensitize the populace in all twenty-one local government areas of the state about the upcoming 2023 population and housing census.
Dr. Ulasi stated that the workshop’s goals would be to educate NOA management and staff on census methodology and processes, to strengthen institutional collaboration between the NPC and NOA in carrying out their respective mandates, and to develop a comprehensive work plan for the successful implementation of the 2023 census advocacy and publicity campaign.
In addition, the Anambra State director of the National Orientation Agency, Barrister Charles Nworji, stated that the agency will ensure that public information reaches every member of society, particularly those in the hinterlands, by sensitizing the public on what the census entails.
He noted that the synergy is important because information can be misinterpreted, and with the commission’s new digital approach, citizens must be well informed so that they are not caught off guard.
