by Azeez Adeniyi

The Federal Government has released N775m for Enumeration Area Demarcation exercise in preparation for the 2018 census programme.

Chairman of the National Population Commission, Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), spoke at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

Duruiheoma also announced that religion and ethnicity will be included in the census unlike 2006 census.

The chairman of the National Population Commission, Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), spoke at a press briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

EAD involves the process of deploying high calibre technology to divide the country into small units that could be easily covered by a team of enumerators.

The exercise is slated for between February 20 and March 10 2017.

Duruiheoma said, “Now, on the question of some of the things missing in the last census; well, we are making a commitment about improving on what might have happened in the past. Some of these things are there. We intend to improve on them.

“I am not saying that anything went terribly bad in the past because I wasn’t even here. So, I don’t know what happened. But we want to make sure that whatever product we produce after this census would be accepted by the majority of Nigerians and that should be the test.

“Those things that ought to be there, something like religion, ethnicity and others; I know there is something controversial about them. Now, we want to engage Nigerians on some of those things. We want to let Nigerians to give us feedback on what they want or what they think because we don’t claim to know it all here.

“And that is why we have never been tired of telling you what we are doing. We tell you all that so that you can criticise us and make input. If you think any particular step we are taking is wrong, tell us. It is our duty to accept corrections.

“So, the assurance I give you is that most of those things you complained about will not be left out in the census we are contemplating.”