The National Population Commission (NPC) has begun household listing and building numbering in Daura local government area of Katsina.

Daura is among the six LGAs nationwide to be covered 100 per cent during the trial census, in preparation for the 2023 population and housing census.

NPC federal commissioner in Katsina, Bala Almu-Banye, speaking to journalists shortly after the stakeholders’ meeting in Daura, said the exercise was a dress rehearsal to test the methodology for the main census to be conducted in April, 2023.

“It is imperative to note that information collected from the trial census will not form the basis of the result of the 2023 population and housing census. As part of the exercise, enumerators are expected to visit all residential and non-residential buildings within their enumeration areas,” said Mr Almu-Banye. “And also, they are expected to number the buildings and list the number of households in the buildings. The trial census will only be conducted in selected areas, and the total of 7,718 EAs have been selected to test-run suitability and readiness for the actual census in 2023.”

According to him, as part of preparations for the exercise, NPC trained about 1,250 personnel who would conduct the exercise in Daura LGA. He explained that being a sample exercise, the trial census would only be conducted in selected areas; one LGA would be fully covered in one state in each of the six geopolitical zones.

“One supervisory area in three LGAs is in each of the three Senatorial Districts in the remaining 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT),” Mr Almu-Banye added. 

He said the six LGAs included Daura in Katsina, representing Northwest, Toungo in Adamawa, representing Northeast, and Karu in Nasarawa, representing North Central.

Others are Imeko in Ogun representing the South-West, Idemili in Anambra, representing the South-East while Brass in Bayelsa will represent the South=South. 

(NAN)