By Akeem Abas
Ibadan – The National Population Commission (NPC) has called for the support of stakeholders as it commences the third phase of Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) in Olorunsogo Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Dr Eyitayo Oyetunji, the NPC Federal Commissioner in Oyo State, made the call in Igbeti on Wednesday at a news conference to herald the exercise.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise, which would take place at Olorunsogo Local Government area, Oyo North of the state, is scheduled to hold from Feb. 20 to March 10.
Oyetunji stated that the EAD constituted the foundation on which the entire census architecture stands.
The commissioner said: “In order to effectively enumerate all persons resident in the country, there is need to divide the whole land mass of the country into small units.
“This will allow for easy coverage by a team of enumerators during the census enumeration coming up in 2018.”
He said the commission had adopted meticulous and gradual approach to the 2018 census EAD that allows for practical experimentation of the methodology and necessary adjustment in implementation and flexibility.
According to Oyetunji, the significance of the EAD exercise was beyond the conduct of the 2018 census.
He stated that the commission planned to establish and maintain a national framework which included locality list and house numbering for future censuses and surveys in line with its mandate.
The NPC commissioner solicited the support of the local government, traditional institutions and communities in ensuring the success of the exercise.
Oyetunji explained that the EAD was not the enumeration of persons living in the country and that the outcome would not determine the population of the community.
Meanwhile, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has reiterated the commitment and support of the state government for the activities of NPC, particularly the EAD exercise.
Ajimobi, represented by Mr Bimbo Kolade, the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, gave the assurance when receiving Oyetunji, who is the Federal Commissioner representing Oyo State on the NPC board.