Population commission commences post-trial census enumeration survey

The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced the Trial Post Enumeration Survey (PES) in preparation for the conduct of the first fully digital census in Nigeria by 2023.

It said the trial PES which will be conducted in 127 Enumeration Areas in one LGA, one State in each of the Six (6) geo-political Zones will be carried out from 18th to 29th October 2022.

While briefing newsmen in Abuja on Monday, the Commission’s Chairman, Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra, explained that the Post Enumeration Survey (PES) is a statistically representative survey that the Commission would use to check the accuracy of the Trial Census conducted in July 2022.

“The PES will allow the commission to determine how many people were missed, included by mistake, or counted in the wrong place.

According to the Chairman, the exercise which is in line with the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses has been designed to redress possible errors in the census process.

“As you know, a Population census is the official enumeration of all persons in a country at a specific time. This encompasses the collection, compilation, evaluation, analysis, publication and dissemination of demographic, social and economic statistics relating to the population.

“However, errors are inevitable in a large-scale data collection exercise such as a Census. Errors can arise from many sources in the conduct of the census, especially in field data collection and processing procedures. Census designs can also be a source of error by introducing measurement errors through wrong questionnaires, instructions, training materials, and procedures for data collection,” he said.

To this end, he said the Commission has selected and trained PES Enumerators and other PES Functionaries in 6 LGAs of the 6 States where the PES is to take place.

“The training was rigorous with an intended high-quality output from the personnel and the adoption of the slogan, “Zero Tolerance for Error,” he added.

Local Government Areas(LGAs) selected for the exercise are; Toungo in Adamawa State, North East, Idemili South, Anambra, South East, Brass Bayelsa, South-South, Daura, Katsina, North West, Karu, Nasarawa, North Central and Imeko-Afon, Ogun, South-West.

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