Alhaji Nasir Kwarra, the Executive Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), says accurate data is essential for national planning and development.
He made the remark while inaugurating the training of functionaries for trial census 2022 in Gwagwalada, Abuja.
He urged the trainees to show commitment to the training for quality and accurate data collation.
He said “wrong data will mislead planners, so endeavour to get the correct data in order
not to mislead others.”
The chairman, who reiterated the commitment of the commission to a digital, credible census,
advised the trainees not to let the commission down.
He regretted that Nigeria in the past 16 years had not conducted census, which is inimical to development.
Kwarra affirmed the determination of the commission to continue to support the trainees in capacity building.
Dr Collins Opiyo, the Chief Technical Adviser (CTA) and UNFPA official, described census as key to socio-economic advancement.
Opiyo said no country could develop economically without census, adding that “this census preparation is Nigeria’s step into the next level.”
According to him, census is a game changer, and digital census means the deployment of quality electronic techniques to achieve quality census.
Mrs Patience Mbagwu, the acting Director-General of the commission, urged the trainees to take advantage of the training to equip themselves well for the task ahead.
Mbagwu, who congratulated the trainees for their emergence as enumerators, urged them to always seek accurate and quality data.
Mrs Evelyn Olanipekun, the Director, Census, assured determination to collate and disseminate accurate and quality data for national development.
Olanipekun said that experts were ready to educate the trainees on ways to achieve credible and acceptable census.
Mr Ugonna Akim, a trainee, commended the commission for giving them access to digital training.
Akim expressed satisfaction with the training session, saying that they would not disappoint.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training of functionaries for the trial census will last for 12 days in different locations of the six geopolitical zones of the country. (NAN)
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