2023 Census: Technology Will Be Used To Capture Data – NOA Boss

Technology will be used to capture data on the citizens during the 2023 National Population and Housing Census, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari, has said.

According to Abari, this year’s Census is going to be different from previous ones. He noted that the use of technology would enhance the credibility of the exercise.

Naija News understands that the NOA boss stated this on Sunday while interacting with the press in Abuja.

Abari, who is a member of the National Publicity and Advocacy Committee on Census, said contrary to the previous census conducted in the country, preparations are in top gear to perfect this year’s exercise.

He said, “This is one census that is going to be different from previous ones. To enhance the credibility of the exercise, this census is going to be digital.

‘’In the house listing and numbering, the National Population Commission has perfected the space and got the point much beyond what google has done in the mapping.

‘’In terms of specificity and the correctness of the capture of every house and hamlet in Nigeria, the NPC has gone far beyond what google has done.

‘’We may not say that we are absolutely 100 percent correct, but 99 percent of all houses and structures within the enclave of Nigeria’s territory have been captured digitally, far beyond what google can provide in terms of specificity.’’

He added: “Digitalisation will enhance the credibility because there is a common template for the exercise, and that is all that will be sent to the cloud.”

He said the previous census exercise was looked at from the prism of one region being larger than the other; one state was bigger than another, one local government was bigger than another, and one senatorial district was bigger than another.

‘’And in the process, you miss out on the most important element of the programme, which is getting sufficient data for planning,” Abari noted.

He said the 2023 census would be scientific, a digital census that would respond to the reality of today, respond to the information and technological revolution, a census aimed at bringing in credible, acceptable, open, and transparent force.