The National Population Commission (NPC) has inaugurated a publicity committee as part of strategies to create awareness among the people of Ebonyi on the forthcoming census.

During the committee’s inauguration on Friday in Abakaliki, the federal commissioner of the NPC in Ebonyi, Darlington Okereke, said that publicity was necessary to achieve a successful headcount across the nation.

Mr Okereke noted that the target of the 2023 census was to produce accurate, reliable, and acceptable data.

He added that the exercise would create inclusive data that all segments of society would use for development planning and critical programme interventions.

“In all of these, the need for advocacy publicity and public enlightenment cannot be overemphasised.

“As such, targeted advocacy and sustainable publicity are no doubt imperative to the successful conduct of census exercise,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Uchenna Orji, the state Commissioner for Information, commended the commission and described the exercise as ‘key” to national development.

Mr Orji noted that the state was committed to ensuring a successful headcount and urged all hands be on deck.

He urged the committee to work hard to sensitise the public, especially at the grassroots level, using language that the people could easily understand.

Similarly, Julia Manyike, the state director of NPC, said the composition of the publicity committee was to build and sustain broad-based state and grassroots orientation partnerships to effectively mobilise the citizens.

The committee comprises stakeholders from the state Commissioner for Information, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), amongst others. 

(NAN)