2023 CENSUS: NPC, NOA HOLDS BLOGGERS, SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS WORKSHOP IN ABUJA

Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa Kwarra, has called on bloggers, and social media influencers to mobilise the youthful population for active participation in the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

Kwarra made this call in Abuja at a one-day Interactive workshop for bloggers and social media influencers organised by the National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency(NOA), preparatory to the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

Kwarra, represented by Alhaji Husaini Isiyaku, Special Assistant
to the Chairman of NPC, said the youth constitutes active internet and social media users.

He noted that it is estimated that over 60% of Nigeria’s population is under 30 and a good part of this under-16 demographic has never been captured in a census exercise.

Adding that demography constitutes the greater part of Nigerian citizens who are active internet and social media users.

“It, however, follows that, for the forthcoming 2023 National Population and Housing Census to succeed in covering the youth population, there must be clear, deliberate and effective sensitisation and mobilisation strategies designed to reach that important youth segment of our society.

“Such strategy should, of necessity, mainstream and robustly engage the social media and its influencers towards achieving youth inclusiveness in the census figures.

“The foregoing underscores the need for an assemblage of bloggers and social media influencers to help them appreciate the important roles they could play in mobilising the youth population to participate in the 2023 census.

“These bloggers and social media influencers’ conference is proposed on the premise that the buy-in of such strategic persons would manifest in their promotion of the census on their various platforms and ultimately translate into massive youth participation in the census.”

Commenting on the preparations made so far by the Commission to ensure an accurate and reliable census, the NPC boss, said the Commission had made significant progress in preparation for the Census.

In his remarks, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency(NOA), Dr. Garba Abari, underscored the importance of the Population and Housing Census, saying that the exercise would help Nigeria to plan and achieve sustainable development.

Abari represented by Mrs. Theresa Maduekwe, a director in NOA, said the Agency was irrevocably committed to carrying out sensitisation and mobilisation campaigns across the length and breadth of the country.

He, therefore, tasked all Nigerians to join hands with the Commission to make the 2023 Census exercise a resounding success.

Participants were drawn from across the states of the federation with at least a blogger representing each state and the FCT.