Daybreak, Politics, Entertainment, Sport

Tag: NPC

  • Coalition Urges Tinubu to Reinstate Dr. Raji-Mustapha as NPC Director General

    Coalition Urges Tinubu to Reinstate Dr. Raji-Mustapha as NPC Director General

    A coalition of civil society organizations gathered at the NUJ Press Centre in Utako, Abuja, on Wednesday, to urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reinstate Dr. Nasir Olaitan Raji-Mustapha as Director General of the National Productivity Centre (NPC). The group, led by Barr.Joseph Ndaguba, Head Legal Service of the Centre for Civil Relations, Open Dialogue and Development, expressed concern over the recent appointment of a new Director General without the requisite qualifications and experience.

    The coalition argued that Dr. Raji-Mustapha, a seasoned productivity expert with three decades of service, was removed and replaced with an appointee lacking the necessary credentials stating that the decision undermines the principles of merit and fairness and threatens the NPC’s credibility and effectiveness.

    Ndaguba said, “The NPC plays a crucial role in fostering productivity across all sectors of the economy, and the group emphasized the importance of having competent leaders at the helm. They cited examples of catastrophic failures in the financial and health sectors due to unqualified leadership and urged President Tinubu to act in the nation’s best interest by reinstating Dr. Raji-Mustapha.”

    The coalition’s demands include the immediate reinstatement of Dr. Raji-Mustapha and a commitment to merit-based leadership appointments.

    “We trust that President Tinubu will act swiftly to restore confidence in the NPC and reaffirm the Centre’s commitment to excellence. The consequences of not reinstating Dr. Raji-Mustapha are dire, with potential setbacks in Nigeria’s socio-economic development, diminished productivity, and compromised organizational integrity. The group urged President Tinubu to act swiftly to prevent this from happening.” They added.

    The press conference was attended by leaders of civil society organizations, the media, amongst others. The group’s call to action echoes a growing concern among Nigerians for good governance and effective leadership.

  • NYSC, NPC, UNICEF Hook Up To Revolutionize Birth Registration in Nigeria

    NYSC, NPC, UNICEF Hook Up To Revolutionize Birth Registration in Nigeria

    By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

    The trio forces of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the National Population Commission (NPC), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) today announced a new partnership aimed at revolutionizing birth registration in Nigeria.

    The three organizations today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to solidify their commitment to collaborate and support the digitalized birth registration process in 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
    The NYSC, NPC and UNICEF Partnership intends to benefit at least 12 million under 5 eligible children who will be registered as primary beneficiaries.

    In a press release issued by UNICEF, this partnership aims to provide a robust framework within which the parties can implement a comprehensive and efficient digitalized birth registration process across Nigeria.

    Additionally, families, parents, caregivers, communities, households, state and local government areas (LGAs), and ward level administrators will be indirect beneficiaries of this collaboration.

    Speaking on the significance of the new collaboration, the Director General NYSC, Brigadier General YD Ahmed who expressed his enthusiasm said, “The NYSC is honored to join hands with the NPC and UNICEF in this vital initiative. Our deployment of 850 corps members as coordinators and supervisors, spread across 22 states and the FCT, will ensure effective monitoring and supervision of the birth registration process.”
    ” Together, we will strive to achieve comprehensive data collection and availability, supporting increased birth registration coverage in our respective LGAs.”

    Brigadier Ahmed emphasized,” NPC, as a key partner, will play a crucial role in ensuring the success of this partnership.”

    Also, Chairman of NPC, Nasir Isa Kwarra said, “We are committed to supporting the recruitment of ad hoc birth registrars at the ward level and ensuring the availability of registration materials to coordinators and supervisors.”

    “By distributing protocols, checklists, FAQs, and informational materials, we aim to engage local government chairpersons, traditional and religious leaders, and communities to promote the importance of birth registration.”

    Together, we will generate and analyze digitalized birth registration data at the LGAs and wards, ultimately increasing birth registration coverage, he promised.

    Furthermore, UNICEF representative in Nigeria.Cristian Munduate, said,
    ” UNICEF, a leading organization in child welfare and development, will bring its expertise to the table to support the digitalized birth registration services in focus states.”
    “Our primary focus will be on providing technical assistance and evidence-based interventions
    ”
    “By integrating birth registration into routine health service delivery, conducting the digitalized birth registration process, and increasing awareness through state and community-level campaigns, we aim to ensure that every child has access to and benefits from the essential health and birth registration interventions they deserve.”

    Through this partnership, the NYSC, NPC, and UNICEF are committed to promoting the importance of birth registration within the National Youth Corps programs, stimulating increased demand for birth registration services in health facilities and at the community level.

    The collaboration will also foster constructive engagement with local government chairpersons, traditional and religious leaders, leveraging their support to enhance the digitalized birth registration process.

  • Mentally-challenged and homeless persons will be counted during census – NPC

    Mentally-challenged and homeless persons will be counted during census – NPC

    Mentally-deranged and homeless people will reportedly be captured in the upcoming 2023 housing and population counting.

    Prince Diran Iyantan, the NPC Federal Commissioner representing Ondo State disclosed this during a one-day capacity-building workshop for the 2023 population and housing census publicity committee, held in Akure on Wednesday, April 19.

    Iyantan also assured Nigerians that the 2023 census would have at least 98 per cent success.

    The State Director of NPC, Mr Oluyemi Falusi, on the other hand said digitisation of the census was in line with UN recommendations. Falusi said the 2023 exercise would be the first digital census to be conducted by Nigeria, adding that it would facilitate faster processes, reduce error, track progress, ensure efficiency and ensure prompt publication of results, among others

    The NPC Director also said the training, recruiting, deployment, conduct, analysis and publication and other processes of the exercise are fully digitalised.

    Falusi who further revealed that a 5-tier strategy being deployed for quality assurance, robust monitoring and evaluation system had been set up, concluded by stating that there would be a call centre and a situation room in the state to assess the daily progress of the exercise.

  • NPC, Reaffirms Commitment To Accurate Data For National Planning Ahead Of Census

    NPC, Reaffirms Commitment To Accurate Data For National Planning Ahead Of Census

    From Leo Zuanke, Nasarawa

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has reaffirmed its commitment to providing accurate demographic data for effective national planning through the forthcoming national census.

    The Federal Commissioner representing Nasarawa State at the NPC, Mr. Silas Ali Agara, made this known in an interview with our correspondent, in Lafia Friday.

    Recall that the last census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006, and the law stipulates that it should be conducted every ten years.

    With less than 25 days to the 2023 national census, Mr. Agara assured Nigerians that the Commission is fully prepared to provide dependable data for effective planning and policy making.

    He noted that “over 70,000 residents of Nasarawa State have applied for adhoc engagement with the Commission, but only 15,000 personnel are needed for the exercise.”

    He also stated that the Commission has put all necessary measures in place to ensure that the forthcoming national census would be the best in the history of the nation.

    Mr. Agara commended the efforts of the Nasarawa State Government, the Traditional institution, and the media in creating a good platform for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming census exercise in the state.

    He advised residents to support the efforts of the Commission for a more reliable data that will accelerate development in the country.

  • 2023 Census: We Won’t Question Nigerians On Religion – NPC

    2023 Census: We Won’t Question Nigerians On Religion – NPC

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has said that the May 3rd population and housing census will not canvass questions on religious affiliation.

    NPC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Isiaka Yahaya who was reacting to an audio tape going viral on WhatsApp that religious affiliations of respondents will be canvassed, said the decision to exclude religion along with ethnicity from the census questionnaire was taken in consideration of the sensitive nature of these issues within the Nigerian polity.

    He said in a statement;

    “The attention of the National Population Commission has been drawn to an audio tape going viral on the WhatsApp social media platform across the country which stated that the religious affiliations of respondents will be canvassed in the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

    “The audio tape calls on Muslims in Nigeria to see the purported canvassing of information on their religious affiliations as a tool to suppress their population figures. It therefore instructed adherents of the Islamic faith to resist any attempt to divide the religion of Islam by refusing to answer any question on their religious affiliations.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission wishes to state unequivocally that the 2023 Population and Housing Census will not canvass questions on religion and religious affiliations of respondents.

    “The decision to exclude religion along with ethnicity from the census questionnaire was taken in due consideration of the sensitive nature of these issues within the Nigerian polity and the need to save the census data from needless controversies and attention.

    “A fact check on the origin of the purported message shows that it was first circulated in Ghana during its 2021 population census exercise through a Whatsapp message. This negative message found its way into the Nigerian social media space in July 2022 when the Commission conducted the Trial Census.

    “The re-circulation of the message in audio form as the Commission sets to conduct the 2023 Population and Housing Census in May 2023 is an indication that some elements are bent on drawing the 2023 Census into unnecessary controversies through propagation of falsehood and incitement of a section of the population to destabilize existing peaceful coexistence in the country.

    “The Commission carried out extensive consultation with data users and stakeholders in coming up with the questions to be canvassed in the next census. The overarching goal of the questionnaire is to generate data that will facilitate sustainable development.

    “The questionnaire is robust and include demographic characteristics of respondents and other socio-economic characteristics but without any question whatsoever on religion and ethnicity.

    “Members of the general public are therefore enjoined to disregard the rumour of question on religious affiliation contained in the audio tape in circulation and extend maximum cooperation to the enumerators for the sake of delivering a credible, reliable and acceptable 2023 Population and Housing Census data for national development planning.”

  • Election Postponement May Affect Commencement Of 2023 Census – NPC

    Election Postponement May Affect Commencement Of 2023 Census – NPC

    The commencement of the 2023 national housing and population census earlier slated for March 29 is likely to be affected by the postponement of the governorship and state assembly elections.

    This is according to the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Mr Nasir Kwarra, who was speaking at a meeting with the resident representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Abuja.

    The state elections which were earlier scheduled to hold on March 11, have now been scheduled for March 18 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Although no specific date is fixed for the commencement of the exercise, Mr Kwarra told reporters that he will consult with President Muhammadu Buhari for a suitable date for the national census.

    On her part, the resident representative of the United Nations Population Fund, Ms Ulla Mueller, pledged the support of UNFPA in ensuring the success of the exercise.

    While reiterating the significance of the exercise to the attainment of the sustainable development goal, Mueller explained that the conduct of a post-enumeration survey will also give credibility to the census.

    In support of the post-enumeration survey, the UNFPA presented sixteen high-capacity computers for the conduct of the post-enumeration survey.

  • NPC Schedules March 29 For Nationwide Population & Housing Census

    NPC Schedules March 29 For Nationwide Population & Housing Census

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has fixed the national population and housing census for March 29 to April 1, 2023.

    Nasir Kwarra, NPC Chairman, disclosed this while speaking with State House reporters after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.

    “By March 29 to April 2, our staff will be in the field enumerating people,” he said.

    Kwarra added that the technological tools to be deployed would be able to code building and landmass, detailing information such as location, landscapes among others.

    The NPC chairman, who said his commission would ensure a credible exercise, added that non-Nigerians would equally be counted so long as they are in the country at the time of the exercise.

    He said the exercise would be different from the previous ones marred by controversies with high end technology.

    Kwarra said, “From March 29 to April 2, our staff will be in the field enumerating people… This census is going to be different from past censuses. The theory and practice is essentially the same, but we are using high-end technology to conduct this census and it is such that nobody can tamper with any figure. Nobody will be counted more than once.

    “We are visiting households to do direct interface with the household, collect data and in the past, if you are doing an operational manually, it is very cumbersome, but this is being aided by technology and I believe it is going to be transparent and very fast and it is going to be verifiable because we are able to provide data up to local government, up to wards level. So, it is something that you can always verify.”

    Kwarra said the demarcation of enumerations areas had been completed.

    He said a portal had been opened by the commission to recruit ad-hoc staff for the conduct of the exercise, adding that people recruited will be deployed to work in their localities.

    The NPC chairman, while speaking on the security situation in parts of the country, expressed hope that the exercise could be conducted smoothly in the areas affected.

  • NPC To Launch Improved E-recruitment Portal

    NPC To Launch Improved E-recruitment Portal

    By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto

    The Federal Commissioner National Population Commission Sokoto State, Chiso Abdullahi Dattijo made this known while addressing newsmen on the planned activities of the Commission.

    He said the improved E-recruitment Portal would be inaugurated for the successful conduct of the next Population and Housing Census next year.

    “To carry out this task of conducting accurate and reliable Census, there is need for the recruitment of manpower that will carry out the Gigantic exercises.

    ” The need arises for the transparency in the recruitment process that led the Commission to introduce the online E-recruitment Portal and train the officers that will supretent over the Census recruitment process”.

    Chiso opined that the Headquarters Recruitment Team in conjunction with state Recruitment Review Team will train the Local Government Area Recruitment Team and similarly monitor the exercise.

    He said the quality of staff that will perform the Census activities are very important as they have good knowledge of the content of of the Census document.

  • CLO wants improved welfare for Police, to partner NPC

    CLO wants improved welfare for Police, to partner NPC

    The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) in Akwa Ibom has called for improved welfare package for police officers in the country.

    CLO Secretary in the state Comrade Christopher Ekpo made the call at a stakeholders meeting with the Assistant Inspector General of Policemen, Zone 6,Calabar,Okunlola Kamaldeen in Uyo.

    Ekpo commended the Commissioner of Police for the transformation in the State Police Headquarters since his assumption of office some months ago.

    He drew their attention to areas of infrastructural and logistical deficit in the State Police Command, such as the poor state of the Nsit Ibom and Ibiono Ibom divisional buildings and other divisions that lack functional patrol vehicles. 

    He assured the Police of continued support and collaboration by the CLO and urged the Akwa Ibom State Government to sustain its support to the State Police Command, particularly in the area of logistics.

     The Secretary called for improved welfare of police personnel in the State and urged the Police to train and retrain its personnel on human rights standards.

    In his response the AIG thanked the stakeholders for turning up for the meeting and appreciated Akwa Ibom State for maintaining the lead as a peaceful domain. 

    He commended stakeholders for their support to the Police in the State and called for sustained support and cooperation, particularly in the area of logistics and information. 

    In another developement, the Civil Liberties Organisation has said it would partner the National Population Commission,NPC, to ensure the success of the next year’s population census in Nigeria.

    State chairman of CLO Mr Franklin Isong made the pledge when the organization paid an advocacy visit to the Federal Commissioner,NPC, Engr.Benedict Ukpong in Uyo.

    Isong who underscored the importance of NPC as a key institution of government saddled with the onerous responsibility of conducting the national population census the data from which provides the basis of national planning identified publicity and public enlightenment as key enablers of the census.

    The CLO helmsman stated that population census is pivotal to national planning and national resources allocation and assured that the CLO would engage in advocacies aimed at educating and enlightening the citizenry and bringing to the fore for redress challenges and areas of need of the NPC in the State.

    Ukpong in his response promised to partner with CLO and assured that NPC is determined to deliver an accurate census next year and restated that census remained necessary for data generation, planning and resource allocation.

    The commissioner stated that when it is considered that by 2050 Nigeria’s population is projected at Four Hundred Million and in the face of the fact that Nigeria’s landmass will remain static, the need for an accurate population and housing census cannot be overstated.

    The NPC would continue to place emphasis on publicity and public enlightenment and promised that the 2023 population and housing census would be transformational and digitalised and identified the areas of need of the NPC in the State as advocacy, logistics and publicity. 

    The NPC according to him has enhanced its capacity to conduct the 2023 population and housing census having already completed the enumeration area demarcation of the State and country and have also conducted trial census in nine local government areas in the State and one local government area from each of the six geographical zones of the country.

    Ukpong commended the CLO in the State for its laudable civil society engagements and assured that the NPC partnership with the CLO would be sustained.

  • FG To Recruit 1 Million Nigerians For 2023 Census – NPC

    FG To Recruit 1 Million Nigerians For 2023 Census – NPC

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has said a total of one million Nigerians will be recruited by the federal government for the conduct of the 2023 national census.

    The commission assured that a reliable technological innovation had been advanced by the NPC for the conduct of the exercise to prevent politicians and interested elite from hijacking or manipulating the process.

    The commissioner representing Ekiti at the NPC, Mr Deji Ajayi, said this in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, at a press conference heralding the trial census to be conducted in the state preparatory to next year’s main census exercise.

    The former Ekiti State’s head of service added that nine towns across nine local governments selected out of the 16 LGAs in the state, had been delineated into Enumerated Areas (EAs) to ease the trial census.

    He pointed out areas to be enumerated in the trial census as Ado, Emure, Iro, Ijero, Ikole, Iworoko, Ise, Ikun and Omuo Ekiti.

    Explaining the significance of census to nation building, Ajayi said population statistics would be used by private organisations to plan for the recruitment of young Nigerians by knowing the number of the active population.

    “The government will also use such statistics to plan for our youth, students and the health needs of Nigerians. They will also know the number of senior citizens who should be catered for.”

    Assuring that the exercise will be difficult to manipulate, the NPC boss said, “The biometric technology will capture your face and fingerprints and goes to the server and any similar information supplied will be noticed and expunged from the data immediately.