Osun NPC Trains Journalists on Census Coverage

    Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

    Journalists in Osun State has  been admonished to give the 2023 National Population and Housing Census a wide coverage in order to ensure that the people of the state are adequately sensitised for the overall success of  the two-in-one exercise.

    The state National Commissioner on Population and Housing Census, Senator Mudashiru  Husein, made the call  at a one-day ‘State Level Capacity Building Workshop for Journalists in Osun State’ over the weekend on ‘Effective Reporting of the 2023 Population and Housing Census’.

    The workshop, which was mainly for select media professionals in the state, was held at Platinum Plaza, Dele Yes Sir Area in Osogbo.

    Hussein, who spoke through Fatade Saka Adeniran, the head of Department in the NPC in Osun State, described the roles of journalists in the coming population and housing census as crucially important and significant.

    According to the National Commissioner, the workshop was put in place mainly to ensure that journalists are actively involved in the processes of conducting the coming  census to improve their capacity to effectively and professionally report the processes and  outcome of the 2023 census.

    He advised journalists to do away with sentiments of any kind in their reportage so as not to obliterate the success of the exercise.

    Hussein also maintained that as members of the fourth estate of the realm, they should  endeavour to inform and educate the masses on how the exercise will be conducted in order to ensure wide acceptability of its outcome.

    The workshop featured five papers presented by two resource persons which included History of Population Census in Nigeria, and How to Generate Media Contents for the 2023 PHC, as  handled by Fatade Saka Adeniran.

    Other papers included Processes and Methodologies for the 2023 PHC, Enumeration Area Demarcation for the 2023 PHC as well as Technological Innovations in the 2023 PHC, which were handled by Mrs. Adeoye Tinuade Moradeyo, the NPC, HOD Technical.

    According to Moradeyo, “The 2023 census conduct will be a great departure from that of 2006, because digital method of data collection will be employed to ensure easier execution of the exercise.

    While speaking on network failure, she averred that the commission has dutifully aligned with all network providers in the country to ensure  a hitch-free exercise.

    She noted that SIMS that will easily attract network will be made available for their staff to achieve optimum result.

    Moradeyo, however, stressed that the commission was adequately prepared for the exercise, while ad hoc staff to be engaged for the programme will be recruited electronically.