The National Population Commission (NPC) says the 2023 population and housing census will include Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue and other States.
This is a reaction to the call by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, and the President of Middle Belt Forum, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, on the Federal Government to postpone the 2023 Population and Housing Census slated to be conducted from 3rd to 7th May 2023 due to fear of exclusion of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the census exercise.
They asked the FG to provide adequate security for the IDPs in Benue and other parts of the country before the exercise is conducted.
But in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Isiaka Yahaya in Abuja on Sunday, the Commission said that: “that everyone resident in Nigeria at the time of the 2023 Census exercise will be counted, including the non-Nigerians, Internally Displaced Persons and homeless people.”
It added that the 2023 Census methodology has a robust and tested procedure for enumerating the IDPs in Nigeria, which is also in line with the international best standard.
According to the commission, the methodology devised is for counting persons in regular households and those who stay in irregular households, such as people in transit, homeless persons, and temporary living camps.
“The aim is to leave no one behind in order to ensure inclusive, credible, and acceptable census data. The 2023 Census methodology has a robust and tested procedure for enumerating the IDPs in Nigeria, which is also in line with the international best standard.
“The census questionnaire will elicit information on the usual places of residence of people in IDP camps, that is where they stayed before the displacement. This data can be accessed in case of a possible change in status to aid the planning process of their respective usual places of residence,” it said
The Commission added tgat that the mandate of the enumerators during the census period will be to count every person in the assigned Enumeration Areas, and the aggregation of all the persons counted during the census will constitute the population figures of Nigeria.
” The 2023 Census will generate demographic data that governments at all levels, private sectors, international development partners and relief agencies will require to plan for the provision of food items, empowerment and social facilities to people in IDP camps,”it added.
