The National Population Commission in Zamfara has declared over four hundred communities in Maru Local Government Council inaccessible for the conduct of the 2023 population and housing census due to Insecurity.
The Commission says nine local government areas were not fully covered during the Enumeration Area Demarcation exercise undertaken to prepare for the exercise.
The federal Commissioner, National Population Commission in Zamfara Muttaka Rini insists that until security in the affected areas improve, the exercise will not hold there.
The National population census is an exercise which aids policymakers to make realistic development plans such as the provision of pipe-borne water, construction of roads, schools, hospitals among other things
It also helps to track the progress made by a nation over a particular period of time.
Nigeria had it last population census in the year2006.
The National Population Commission in Zamfara has organized a stakeholders Meeting to broaden support from stakeholders for the Successful conduct of the 2023 population and Housing Census in the State.
The meeting also seeks to generate and sustain awareness on the conduct of next year’s census, why it is imperative, its methodology, and timelines and why the cooperation and support of key stakeholders is sacrosanct.
Though a huge obstacle is already in place that may make the exercise unsuccessful with communities in nine LGAS inaccessible for enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise due to security challenges.
The affected localities are spread across Anka, Shinkafi, Maradun, Bungudu, Gusau, Tsafe, Kauran Namoda, Zurmi and Maru Local Government Council which is the worst hit with over 400 inaccessible localities.
That notwithstanding, the Commission says it is committed to delivering a credible census through the use of Modern Technology
The Zamfara State Government and council of traditional rulers in the state also pledge to support the exercise and will continue to create awareness on the forthcoming population census
The commission restates its commitment to ensuring credible and acceptable census results
But it warns that if the affected Communities are not demarcated anytime soon and the security situation remains the same, they will not be covered during census and that will affect Zamfara State negatively.
