The National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) said the task before the National Security and Logistics Committee for the upcoming 2023 Population and Housing Census is huge, but it can be overcome.
Therefore, he urged the committee to understand some of the risk factors that could affect the success of the census.
While inaugurating the National Security and Logistics Committee during the week in his office, General Mongunu stated that the planning and execution of a giant program such as the census will inevitably come with challenges in terms of security and logistics.
According to him, “potential areas of threats to the census include physical attacks on NPC staff and facilities, attacks on security personnel on census duty, inter/intra-communal violence disrupting the main census and preparatory work, attacks targeting the NPC database and ICT architecture, intimidation of members of the public to prevent them from participating in the process, seizing and destroying census materials, etc.
“The most important is the problem of insecurity arising from banditry, kidnapping, armed conflict, terrorism, insurgency and other violent crimes which are the main challenges for the census exercise.”
While stressing that the task before the National Security and Logistics Committee is huge, he said that Nigeria is not only diverse in size but also in language, location, age and socio-economic orientation.
“Given the scope of the 2023 Population and Housing Census that will cover the entire country and count every person living in Nigeria and it will happen simultaneously in every household in the country, maintaining personnel and materials as well as smooth channels. The same, it is important for the overall success of the census exercise .
“With this at the back of our minds and the desire to succeed in this effort, this Committee must remember some risk factors that can militate against the success of the 2023 Census”, he said.
But he said the government has made serious efforts to make the country safe for everyone.
“It is hoped that with the synergy of this committee, the smooth movement of personnel and material before, during and after the census can be guaranteed because we have confidence that with the caliber of members of this committee, this national task can be carried out. came out successfully.
“Considering your wealth of experience and commitment to nation building, you have been carefully selected to add value as committee members.
“Your membership will include other duties and responsibilities, allowing you to support and intervene in security and logistical arrangements to maintain census personnel and materials, mobilize logistical resources for the census and create appropriate strategies for the storage, distribution and retrieval of census equipment and materials . where it is necessary like this’, he said to the members who make up each security apparatus.
Furthermore, Mongunu said that the establishment of the committee and its inauguration is a necessary step to make the census process peaceful and smooth.
“This arises from the important role of reliable and trustworthy census data in planning for sustainable development.
“According to this and in line with the mandate to produce demographic data for the purpose of development planning, the National Population Commission has for many years, invested a lot of time and resources in census planning with the aim of providing the nation with scientific accuracy. census data that will be a guide to planning in the context of global economic challenges, insecurity and other human development conditions.
“For this purpose, the NPC has decided to carry out a complete digital census that will provide reliable, reliable and trustworthy data that will be the basis for driving government planning for infrastructure, security, budget allocation and development intervention agenda.”
While wanting all members to fulfill their national duties, the NSA said that for a strong security and logistics architecture, the committee will be replicated in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory and in the 774 Local Government Areas of the country.
Chairman, NPC, Nasir Isa Kwarra, said the Commission attaches great importance to the work of the Security and Logistics Committee, which plays a critical role in the quest to provide Nigerians with reliable, reliable and acceptable census data for national planning.
“I want to assure all members of the committee of the iron support of the commission. We are ready to fully support the committee in all areas to succeed in its task.
“The commission will without delay, organize a workshop on the process and methodology for the census so that the committee members are updated with the preparations for the census.”
Noting the country’s big landmarks, Kwarra said the commission, despite all the achievements in the 2023 census, has a difficult task to deploy its personnel to all corners of the country.
“Nigeria has a vast landmass with pockets of hard-to-reach areas. With the structure and facilities of the members; the organization, I am confident that the committee has what it takes to mitigate the security and logistical challenges of the 2023 Census.