The Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission (PBC), in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC), has inaugurated Media Publicity and Security committees for the May 2023 Population and Housing Census in the state.

Inaugurating the committees in Kaduna on Thursday, Hajiya Umma Aboki, Commissioner, PBC, explained that the committees would ensure hitch-free conduct of census in the state.

Aboki, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Malam Bashir Muhammad, explained that she would chair the Media and Publicity Committee, with the Deputy Director, State Planning, as the Secretary.

She identified other members of the committee as the Commissioner, Ministry for Human Services and Social Development, and Special Adviser to Gov. Nasir El-Rufai on Media and Communication.

Others are the Zonal Manager, of the News Agency of Nigeria, Kaduna; the Zonal Director, of the National Television Authority, Kaduna; the Zonal Manager, of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna; and the State Director, of the National Orientation Agency, Kaduna.

The others included the Chairman, of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Kaduna State Chapter; State Chairman, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, as well as Citizens Co-Chair, Open Government Partnership.

According to her, the committee will be responsible for awareness creation and community mobilization for the exercise.

“The committee will also develop television and radio jingles, carry out media engagements and carry out community sensitization and advocacy to relevant community stakeholders for a hitch-free exercise.”

On Security, the commissioner said that the committee would be chaired by the Commissioner, Ministry for Internal Security and Home Affairs, with the Director, of State Planning as Secretary.

She identified members of the committee as the Commissioner of Police in the state; Commissioner, of the Ministry for Local Government Affairs; Commanding Officer, 1 Div, Nigerian Army, and Director, of the Department of State Services.

Others are the State Controller, of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Kaduna; the State Commandant, of Nigeria Security, and Civil Defense Corps; the State Commander, of the Federal Road Safety Corps; the Commander, of Kaduna State Vigilante Service, and Permanent Secretary, PBC.

She explained that the major task of the committee was to provide adequate security across the state for the smooth conduct of the exercise.

The State Director, Adama Uthman, NPC, who was represented by the Head of Administration, Hajiya Zaliha’u Wali, said that the two committees would support the central Census Committee to deliver a successful population and housing census.

Director, of State Planning, Mr. Badamasi Musa, stressed the need for massive sensitization of stakeholders across the state considering the use of digital technology in the conduct of the exercise.

According to him, this will help in educating the populace on what is required of them during the exercise to guarantee the quality of data being obtained.

“We need security to ensure a conducive atmosphere for the conduct of the exercise, and the need to sensitize residents of the state based on the list of questions that will be asked during the exercise,” he said.

Musa added that each member of the committee would play a critical role based on the mandates of the organization he or she represents.

On her part, the Head of Cartography, NPC, Hajiya Maryam Aliyu, said that the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, have been demarcated digitally and are ready for the exercise.

She said that the screening of 36,000 field functionaries for the exercise has been concluded across the 23 LGAs, and is ready for the next level of training.

Recall that Dr. Garba Abari, Director-General, NOA, member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee, 2023 Population and Housing Census, had said that the exercise would commence on May 3, and end on May 5.