The National Population Commission, NPC, in Kwara State, on Thursday, presented the final list of localities for the prosecution of the 2023 population and housing census.

The objective of the “State Compendium of Localities” workshop, in collaboration with stakeholders, according to the Federal NPC, Commissioner, Abdulrazaq Folorunsho Gidado, is to display all the localities demarcated during the Enumeration Area Demarcation, EAD, on local government area basis showing the coverage and location on interactive maps.

He explained that the localities after due presentation and validation by stakeholders will be compiled into a national compendium with requisite parameters including locality name, location, locality type, and locality classification among others.

Gidado, disclosed that the compendium of localities which will be presented to the President before the 2023 population and housing census, will be approved with the consensus of stakeholders as the gazetteer of place names for the country.

He implored all participants at the workshop including sister agencies, to work with the commission to achieve an excellent result that will add more value to the socio-economic development of Kwara State in particular and the nation as a whole.

“I wish to use this opportunity to assure Kwarans that the NPC is irrevocably committed to positively rewriting the history of census in the state and indeed the whole nation and delivering to this great country, accurate, reliable and acceptable census that will be purposefully relevant in the drive towards sustainable national development.

“Getting the 2023 population and housing census right is a task that must be done and the commission is committed to ensuring that everything about the census is done rightly and professionally,” he added.

Gidado appealed to Kwarans to join the commission in the bid to give the state reliable demographic data through the forthcoming 2023 census.

In his speech, the state NPC Director, Saeed Adebayo Yusuf, reminded the general public that the e-recruitment portal has been opened.

State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Olusegun Adeyemi, reiterated the commitment of the agency to cooperate with the commission in getting accurate, reliable and acceptable census figures for the country.

He stressed the need for stakeholders and grassroots cooperation to ensure the success of the exercise.