Post Insurgency: Gov. Buni makes case for credible census in Yobe, Nigeria
Story from Sa’adatu MAINA, Damaturu
Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni on Tuesday declared open a one-day National Population and Housing summit with the theme, “Getting the People Involved”.
The event took place at the banquet hall of the government house in Damaturu.
Governor Buni said the theme of the summit captured his commitment to mobilising people to be actively involved in the process of the 2023 national population and housing census.
He stated that the summit organised by the Yobe state office of the National Population Commission (NPC) would no doubt contribute to the progress of having a very successful census in 2023 as the people especially, the stakeholders were actively engaged to understand and comprehend what is expected of the citizenry “in this very important national exercise”.
Buni revealed that the census exercise apart from establishing the numerical strength of the communities, and the state of the nation, also provides the government with the required data for effective planning and allocation of the resources and infrastructure for development.
The governor said, “For us in Yobe state, the population and housing census is very necessary and crucial, taking into cognisance the unfortunate displacement and relocation of communities by Boko Haram insurgency”.
He urged the National Population Commission (NPC) to collaborate with the government at all levels, traditional rulers, community leaders as well as civil society organisations while conducting the enlightenment and sensitisation on the exercise before the commencement of the census in 2023.
Earlier in his address, the Federal Commissioner, Yobe State Office of NPC, Mai Aliyu Mohammed, said the census would be conducted in line with the United Nations’ best practices, using technology in the enumeration processes.
He noted that the importance of the census is not limited to identifying the accurate number of citizens but also to allow for adequate planning and distribution of resources across all the geopolitical zones.
Mohammed commended Governor Buni for the assistance he has been rendering to the Commission in the state to carry out its functions effectively.
The summit had participants from security agencies, civil society organisations, traditional and community leaders, religious leaders and academia.
