NPC inaugurates 24-man census publicity committee in Katsina

The National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with the Katsina State Government on Thursday inaugurated a 24-man Publicity Committee for the 2023 census exercise in the state.

The Committee has the State Deputy Governor, QS Mannir Yakubu as its Chairman and the Katsina NPC Federal Commissioner, Engr Bala Almu Banye as its Co-Chairman.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Katsina Deputy Governor gave the terms of reference for the Katsina Census Publicity Committee as follows:

“To widely carry out enlightenment and sensitization campaign on the upcoming 2023 National Population and Housing Census.

“To evolve and implement effective publicity strategies for both State and Local Government Census Publicity Committees; and to co-opt any person (s) relevant to the execution of the assignment.”

Also speaking at the occasion, Engr Bala Almu Banye, the Commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC) Katsina State noted that the target of the 2023 census is “not only to produce accurate, reliable and acceptable census data but also an inclusive and user-friendly data that will be used by all segments of the society for development planning and critical programme interventions.”

To that effect, Almu Banye noted that the commission is working tirelessly in ensuring that the result of the census is acceptable to Nigerians and the quality of the data to be generated meets international best standards.

While noting that the need for advocacy, publicity and public enlightenment for the 2023 census exercise cannot be overemphasised, Almu Banye said, “the National Population Commission has been making conscious efforts to sustain awareness in stakeholders at all levels of progress of its activities nationwide. It will be recalled that one of the first steps the Commission took was to conduct Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD), designed to allow for effective and easy coverage by Enumerators within the Census period.”

The publicity committee also has the following stakeholders as members:

Hon. Commissioner, Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Information, Special Adviser, Higher Education, Special Adviser, Christian Affairs, Rep. of JIBWIS.

Others include the Reps. of Katsina and Daura Emirate Council, Chairman ALGON, the General Managers KTTV and State Radio, the Director National Orientation Agency (NOA), Coalition of Civil Society Organization, and the Director Press (SGS office) among others.