The National Population Commission (NPC) has urged stakeholders to support efforts of the commission toward conducting a credible and acceptable census in 2023.

Alhaji Mohammed Dattijo, its Commissioner in Niger, made the appeal on Monday in Minna at a workshop on modalities for the compilation of the Compendium of Localities.

According to him, the workshop is preparatory to the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

“The Compendium is a tool for census, data dissemination as well as for national planning.

“It is composed of all the localities demarcated during the recent Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise carried out along local government basis.

He said that the 2023 population and housing census results would be released up to the lowest level of the census entities which could be as small as a camp.

He urged relevant stakeholders to support the census process from the beginning to the end “to achieve a credible and acceptable census.

“I call on all stakeholders to support the commission to realise the dream of providing the needed demographic data that will place our state and the country on the pedestal of sustainable development,” he said.

The commissioner added that the objective of the workshop was to create awareness on the 2023 census, including its imperatives, methodology and timelines.

He said the workshop was also to stimulate a robustly informed national conversation on the processes and procedures for the 2023 census.

He urged chairmen of the 25 local governments, the law makers, traditional and religious leaders, and the media to mobilise, sensitise and create awareness on the census.

In a remark, Alhaji Abdullahi Paiko, Jarman Minna, expressed dismay over the non-challant attitude of officials of the state government and local government chairmen confirmed by their absence at the workshop.

“Only three local government chairmen are here. This is unfortunate,” he said