2023 Census: Information commissioner advises Journalists to convey importance to Ndi-Anambra

Anambra State Commissioner for Information, Sir Paul Nwosu has exhorted Journalists in the state to take the news of the importance of National Head Counts to the people of the state.

He said that Igbos people were not fully covered in the past versions of the exercise because they took the event with levity and did not accord it the seriousness it deserved hence they are being shortchanged in the distribution of amenities.

Sir Paul made the call at a 1-Day capacity building workshop organized by the National Population Commission for Journalists on ‘Effective Reporting of the 2023 Population and Housing Census’ at the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Awka on Tuesday.

In the words of the commissioner, ‘he that is counted will be he that will be provided for’.

“The government of Anambra State realizes that census/headcount is very important hence the support of the organization of a programme of this sort.’

“Resources are very scarce and once the government at the center gets whatever number from the exercise then it plans with what was got.”

He, then urged the participants to listen to the facilitators and be ready to take all information gathered in the training to the people of the state.

According to the commissioner,”We have also noticed that our people treated past National Census with levity because they are ignorant of the importance of the exercise.

“Other regions took it seriously, they did a lot of public enlightenment in their areas and today are well covered in the distribution of National amenities.

“We must change our people’s attitude through communication and enlightenment, and that is what you will be shown how to go about it in this training.”

While declaring the training open the Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission, representing Anambra State, Mr. Chidi Ezeoke said the preparation is in top gear for the successful implementation of the 2023 exercise at the Federal level.

In his words,”The commission will no doubt need the support of all stakeholders to deliver to the country credible and reliable data that can be used for sustainable development planning.”

He added that the goal of the workshop is to share with the media the vision of the commission and to draw the support of Journalists to ensure broad-based national cooperation for the implementation of the activities of the commission.

He said, “Population and Housing Census is a national event and is the responsibility of Ndi-Anambra to participate by presenting themselves to be counted”.

The training had in attendance media persons drawn from the electronic, print, and blog media.

The Executive of the State Nigeria Union of Journalists led by Dr. Odogwu Emeka Odogwu was also at the training. (MOI)