Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 11, has directed district and village heads to be recording all deaths and births in their domains and submit same to the National Population Commission (NPC).

He gave the directive at a stakeholders’ summit on the 2023 Population and Housing Census organized by NPC in Sokoto state on Thursday.

According to the monarch, this would enable the commission to have up-to-date data needed in taking some important decision by government at various levels.

While stressing the important of headcount census to the national development, the monarch noted that government needs to know the exact number of its people before it could make certain decisions and plans.

Represented by the Sa’in Kilgori, Dr. Muhammadu Jabbi, the monarch charged the commission to periodically visit and obtain the data so that the efforts of the district and village heads would not be in vain.

He further charged the commission to involve traditional rulers in recruiting the adhoc staff that would conduct the exercise in their domains.

Also speaking, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal assured the commission that his government would give it all the necessary support towards the success of the exercise in the state.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Tambuwal corroborated that “knowing the number of the people in the state will help the state government in planning and executing developmental projects.

The National Commissioner of NPC in charge of Sokoto State, Chiso Abdullahi Dattijo said that, the commission was committed to conduct acceptable census that meet international best standards for planning and developmental purposes.

He also assured that, traditional rulers would be carried along in recruiting adhoc staff.

Dattijo requested for the immediate setting up of the state census committee which would be kissing with the commission on behalf of the state government and also help in the area of publicity as well as feedback structure.

The UNFPA representative, Gloria Enueze, also assured their support to the successful conduct of the 2023 census in the country. (Daily Trust)

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