The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Alhaji Nasir Kwarra has appealed to Nigerians to make themselves available for counting during the forthcoming population and housing census.
The census is billed to hold from 3rd to 7th May.
Kwarra said that apart from being a national event, the exercise would help the government and other agencies with accurate data to work with.
He added that a lot of resources and efforts had been invested to ensure that the exercise is credible and successful.
The Chairman, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Husaini Isiyaku, stated these at a workshop held for social media influencers and bloggers in the country on Saturday in Abuja.
He said: “Census is a national event and is the responsibility of every citizen to participate by presenting themselves to be counted. The commission will no doubt need the support of all stakeholders to deliver to the country credible and reliable data it can use for sustainable development planning.
“Over the years, the commission has invested considerable time and resources in planning for the census by drawing from its rich institutional experience spanning two censuses and a pool of tested professionals to give the nation a truly digital and scientific census that will generate data for planning within the context of our present realities”.
He said that the commission has not stopped engaging in activities that would ensure the exercise is successful.
“The commission has made significant progress in preparation for the census. We have completed Enumeration Area Demarcation, conducted two pre-tests and Trial census, trained facilitators for the census and other preparatory activities are presently going as we speak.
“These efforts have laid the groundwork to ensure that the census succeeds and is implemented according to best practices. In addition, the Commission has developed a Census Strategic Plan and Implementation Strategy detailing a whole range of activities to be carried out in the pre-census, actual census, and post-census stages”, Kwarra said.
