The National Population Commission (NPC) has trained 40 journalists in Yobe on effective coverage of the forthcoming 2023 census.
Speaking during a one-day workshop in Damaturu, NPC Federal Commissioner, Alhaji Mai-Aliyu Muhammad, noted that the media was a critical partner in the exercise.
He said the 2023 Population and Housing Census was the first fully digital and green field census in Nigeria, and would be coming 17 years after the last census.
Muhammad, therefore, said there was a need for massive publicity as the success of the exercise would depend largely on the awareness and support of the populace.
The commissioner charged the journalists to go beyond mere informing the public about census schedule, saying they should educate the people on the relevance of the exercise through elaborate publicity.
“ The relevance of Census to our National development cannot be overemphasized as it is not mere counting of persons and structures in the country.
“ The census will collect, evaluate and analyse the demographic, economic and social data of everyone in the country within the census reference period as well as statistical data relating to the number and condition of housing units and facilities.
“ The census would, therefore, provide huge demographic and socio-economic data for planning and national development,” he said.
Muhammad advised the journalist to familiarise themselves with the processes and methodologies of the NPC in order not to be at cross purposes with the commission.
In his remarks, Alhaji Rajab Mohammed, Chairman, Yobe Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) said journalists would give adequate coverage to the census.
He assured that the knowledge acquired in the training would be stepped down to numerous other practicing journalists with various media organisations in the state.
