By Correspondent in Minna.
The National Population Commission (NPC) Federal Commissioner, Niger state,Alhaji Muhammad Dattijo Usman,has stressed the need for critical stakeholders in population census arrangement to provide accurate data for finalizing and presenting to the grassroots, the final list of localities ahead of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
He made the remarks at the opening of a two-day State Level Compendium of Localities Workshop organised by the NPC to finalize and present to the grassroots the final list of localities for the census.
According to him, the objective of the State level Compendium of localities workshop taking place at the federal secretariat, Minna,is aimed at compiling localities demarcated during the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) on Local Government Area basis showing the coverage and location on interaction maps.
He, however, expressed displeasure that key stakeholders who should be in the forefront to ensure that the state is properly remunerated had not shown enough commitments to the cause in the state.
Fragmentation of localities, he cautioned, might hinder the rapid development of a Local Government Area, citing major developmental intervention programmes by Government and Non-Governmental Organisations working along the path of population.
Also speaking, former House of Assembly member, Hajiya Sa’adatu Kolo, commended the NPC for the initiative which she noted would provide accurate population and Housing census of not only the state but also the entire country at large.
She, therefore, advised participants to be more committed to the training.
“It is very important that we know who we are, it is important we know how many we are, where we live and carryout our daily activities because that will also determine what social amenities that accrue to us as a people”, Kolo said.
She expressed commitment to supporting the NPC as a representative of the women folks.
In his contribution, former Permanent Secretary, Niger State Ministry of Information and Culture, Alhaji Abdula Paiko, called for more commitment to the exercise in order to bridge the gap between north and south, saying that “Southern part of the country is far ahead,this is not good enough for us”.
Our Correspondent gathered that Niger state came top during the last census in 1973,a development stakeholders believe that the derivable benefits is what the state is still enjoying today.
The former Permanent Secretary, therefore,called for active collaboration between the NPC, INEC and NOA to actualise set objectives.
Among key stakeholders present at the event include; the Acting Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mallam Yakubu Mohammed, the Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Yahaya Ibrahim Gbongbon, and the chairman, Gbako, Lavun and Edati Local Government Areas.
Out of the eight Emirate Councils in the state namely; Bida, Suleja, Kontagora, Agaie, Lapai, Borgu, Kagara and Minna only the Emirs of Minna, Suleja and Agaie sent a representative to the training workshop.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
