Ahmad Alabira, Dutse
The National Population Commission (NPC) is currently running a Pre-test Census in four local government areas of Jigawa state in preparatory for the nation wide Census exercise to be conducted in 2022.
Addressing reporters on Tuesday in his office, at the federal Secretariat Dutse, the state Director, Ibrahim Ahmed Iro, who represented the federal Commissioner said the Pre-test Census in the state is meant to strengthen them ahead of the main census.
Iro added that the exercise is aimed at testing the ability of their Ad-hoc staff currently on the field, conducting the Pre-test Census in four local government areas of Hadejia, Kafinhausa, Taura and Buji respectively.
“The exercise is aimed at testing the census methodology, the questionnaires, data collection methods, data editing and coding, data processing and tabulation in preparation for the manual census”, he explained.
He added that the exercise will enable them to know the ability of the clarity of concepts, instruments and contents, use of the Enumeration Areas (EA) maps for the census, the workload on each team of enumerators and supervisors.
He further pointed out that 28 Ad-hoc staff were recruited for the exercise which will enable them to know the logistics support from the state and LGAs, adequacy of techniques adopted for advocacy/IEC for the census.
“It can also make us know the relationship between EAD estimated population and 2nd Pre-test population and adequacy of the data capture method among others”, he concluded.