Population commission seeks partnership with women affairs ministry to upgrade data for census

The National Population Commission (NPC) has sought the collaboration of the federal ministry of women affairs (FMWA) to upgrade its data for the planned population and housing census.

Nasir Kwarra, NPC Chairman, requested the collaboration during a courtesy visit to Uju-Kennedy Ohanenye, minister of women affairs in her office in Abuja.

Kwarra said the visit was to advance the implementation of the NPC’s mandate in the areas of data gathering.

He added that the women affairs ministry plays a critical role in child welfare, gender-related issues, disability and other social-related matters.

The NPC chairman said the population census is fundamental to the mandate of the ministry noting that it provides the required demographic data disaggregated by age, sex, educational qualification, and disability, among others.

“I wish to inform you that the NPC is also preparing for the conduct of the next population and housing census and we would like to highlight some of the preparatory activities and steps that have been undertaken by the commission,” NAN quoted Kwarra as saying. 

“The commission has demarcated the 774 local government areas across the states of the federation and developed a hybrid data collection application.

“We have conducted the first and second pre-tests of the census to test the enumeration areas and the questionnaire, conducted a trial census, and identified and mapped special populations.

“We have done advocacy and publicity and stakeholders engagement and collaborated with other national stakeholders to finalise and commence the presentation of the final list of localities, chiefs and local government chairmen.

“The commission’s geospatial data has mapped out all physical infrastructure in the country, which include all households as well as formal and informal facilities where children and women reside in Nigeria.”

Kwarra said the NPC would also be partnering with the ministry on the planned situation analysis of vulnerable children in the country.

In her response, the women affairs minister said the ministry is ready to partner with the commission, adding that both organisations would benefit from each other.

“There is a need to come together to fight some critical challenges confronting the grassroots. There is a need for training and empowerment of Nigerians to reduce poverty. I am happy with the mission of the NPC chairman,” Ohanenye said. 

“We will tap from NPC’s intelligence to also improve our data, with this you will help us draw a map for our empowerment programme. We are determined to transform the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

“I am assuring you that resources to accomplish all the tasks will be judiciously used; this will happen if we organise ourselves.

“There is a need for planning before the resources will come, I promise, we will work together.”