The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said people were critical stakeholders and should make themselves available to be counted at the forthcoming national census.

Mohammed said this during a town hall meeting organised by the National Census Publicity Committee on the 2023 Population and Housing Census in Ikeja, Lagos.

The meeting was organised to sensitise Lagos residents on the forthcoming national census.

The minister, who was represented by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari, said information from the interactive session was important for the success of the process.

“We are here for this engagement with you as critical stakeholders because census is about you, is about us. Census is about development, it is about planning for development,” he said.

Mohammed said since census was about people, their inputs were important, hence the robust represention drawn by the National Publicity Committee on the 2023 Census to get people’s inputs”.

Earlier, Alhaji Nasir Kwarra, Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), appealed to residents to stay in Lagos where they resided to be counted.

He said the census was for planning of developments for their benefit.

Kwarra, who was represented by Dr Eyitayo Oyetunji, the Oyo State Federal Commissioner in NPC, thanked Lagos residents for defying the rain to attend the meeting as a sign of commitment to the census.

He urged stakeholders to ask questions on grey areas, adding that, their responses would be treated with confidentiality.

“Therefore I want to appeal to everyone that census is not the time to travel,” he said.

He said it was 17 years since the last census, hence, the need for the town hall to interact with Lagos residents to get their input and feedback, to help them create further awareness.

Kwarra said technology was being deployed, and reeled out various checks and balances, and measures in place to ensure accuracy of data.

The chairman assured the stakeholders that measures were in place against over counting, adding that all houses had already been captured on satellite imagery.

“When enumerators visit any house, they will count only residents. Enumerators will work in terrains they are familiar with, there is synergy between all security agencies towards safety of all. 

He also responded to social media concerns, and said that the NPC server was not hacked as being speculated, while assuring that the server was protected and safe for accurate data collation.

Also, Dr Isiaka Yahaya, the Director Public Affairs, National Census Publicity Committee, explained the objectives of the census,.

“it is not like election where residents need to go out, but the enumerators will come to them”.

He further explained that the process was free of charge.

Similarly, Mr James Lalu, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons With Disabilities, urged residents to ensure that accurate demography of people with disabilities was captured for their inclusion in the developments.

“Encourage them, don’t be shy, bring them out, be proud of what God has made you, don’t hide your disability, be counted,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hajia Lami Lau, Chairman, National Council for Women Societies Nigeria (NCWS), urged women to ensure that they carried along people at the grassroots to ensure that females got counted to boost their participation quota in politics and other sectors.

Director-General, Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mazi Osita Okechkwu, said the process was not a contest or competition between tribes or groups, but to ensure a transparent census for the next administration to have accurate statistics.

“It is not a competition, it is for our development,” he said.

NUJ President, Dr Chris Isiguzo, appealed to residents to trust that the organisers would collate accurate data, and appealed to journalists to shun emotional interference to avoid fake news and disinformation.

Mr Gbenga Adeshina, the representative of the Nigerian Guild of Editors,  said the deployment of technology was a new dimension.

Stakeholders at the town hall meeting took turns to ask questions and raised concerns which were addressed.

Immediately after the town hall meeting, the committee held a press conference with newsmen at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Ikeja.

At the press conference, Alhaji Lai Mohammed further stressed the need for media participation towards adequate sensitisation of the public to remove all forms of misunderstanding.

He said the press centre was a place to engage with the media towards addressing grey areas for accurate information dissemination.

“This is a very important national event that affects each and every one of us,” he said.

Other members of the team took turns at the press conference to explain measures in place to prevent data falsification.

Mr Ajayi Adeleye, the Chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, was decorated as a Census Ambassador in Lagos State during the conference.

Responding, Ajayi appreciated the gesture and assured of the commitment and support of NUJ and the media for the census.