NPC takes delivery of 100,000 digital devices

The National Population inspected and received 100,000 Personal Digital Assistant devices on Friday for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Lagos, NPC chief Nasir Kwarra said that the PDA device as the main medium for the digital census would determine the success of the project.

Kwarra said the digital device had the census questionnaire, as well as the maps that would direct the enumerators to the enumeration areas, where they would conduct the exercise.

He said the devices, when fitted with the forms, maps and other digital enhancements, prevented enumerators from going beyond the areas assigned to them.

According to him, the PDA device will ensure that there will be no over or under counting because there will be no gap or overlap.

“With all the improvements that the National Population Commission provides the devices, for example the management of mobile devices, we can monitor the counters in the field and ensure that the data provided by Nigerians is secured and well managed for their privacy.

“The geospatial resources acquired by NPC will be deployed on the devices. This ensures that all Nigerians are counted where they are and live. We will also be able to collect statistics on housing type and characteristics for better physical and social planning by the government for the country.

“The homeless will be counted, tied to their usual place of residence, referenced by geo-coordinates, the special population: nomads, migrants, people in transit, etc. Census. Everyone is counted because all Nigerians count,” he said.

The chairman said the commission had robust geospatial data, which would help to plan all aspects of national development by conducting a digital census.