2023 CENSUS: FCT Publicity Committee Sets To Begin Advocacy Visits
….urges citizens to participate in the exercise
By: Ben Ukeji
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) State Census Publicity Committee, for the conduct of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census has concluded arrangements to embark on advocacy visits to traditional institutions, Faith-Based organizations as well as other stakeholders across the Federal Capital Territory.
According to the Committee, the visits are to adequately sensitize the traditional rulers, Faith-bases organizations, and other stakeholders on the significance of the census and implore them to enlighten their subjects and members on the need to avail themselves and their households to the enumerators to be counted during the forthcoming census.
The planned advocacy visit is part of the resolutions arrived at during the inaugural meeting of the FCT Publicity Committee for the 2023 Census held at the FCT Office, National Population Commission, Wuse II, Thursday, in Abuja.
The meeting which was presided -over by the Federal Commissioner for FCT, Hon. Joseph Kwali, also resolved to engage critical stakeholders whose roles are vital to the success of the exercise.
While emphasizing the importance of traditional institutions and faith-based organizations in mobilizing the citizens on government policies and programs, the Publicity Committee maintained that it is essential to adequately educate the traditional rulers and Faith-based groups to efficiently mobilize their subjects and followers to participate in the exercise.
The committee while acknowledging the importance of the census in the socio-economic and educational advancement of any nation, vowed to take the advocacy campaign to the nooks and crannies of the FCT, especially the rural communities.
The committee, therefore, urged all residents of the FCT to fully cooperate with the enumerators when they arrived at their respective homes to conduct the 2023 census.
Similarly, the meeting also agreed to engage other groups such as; the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), the Proprietors of Private schools in the FCT, the National Union of Roads Transport Workers (NURTW) as well as media practitioners to educate them on the need to carry out the census messages to their members.
It will be recalled that FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, through the Permanent Secretary, FCT, Olusade Adesola, inaugurated the FCT Census Publicity Committee following the Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for the National Population Commission (NPC) to conduct the National Population and Housing Census this year.
The exercise is scheduled to hold next month.
