The Nigerian Army (NA) has pledged continuous support to the National Population Commission (NPC) to enable it conduct the forthcoming 2023 census successfully.
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, made the pledge today when the Chairman National Population Commission, Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra, led the Board of Commissioners and Directors on a courtesy visit to the Army Headquarters, Abuja.
Expressing the readiness of the army to support the commission in its effort to conduct the 2023 census, the COAS gave assurance that the NA will provide requisite support to the commission through deployment of troops and adequate security to ensure successful conduct of the exercise. “The NA will provide adequate security and support to the staff of the commission and free access to NA Barracks across formations and units”, he stated.
Earlier, Hon Nasir Kwarra, who felicitated with the Army Chief on his appointment, lauded the effort of the NA in tackling security challenges in the country.
He added that the NA is a major stakeholder in the conduct of the forthcoming 2023 census, hence the need to acquaint the COAS with the progress in preparation for the forthcoming census. He solicited the collaboration of the military in security related areas during the exercise.
Hon Kwarra described the NPC as a constitutional body saddled with statutory powers to collect, analyse and disseminate population and demographic data in the country. The Chairman stated that the commission has laid the basic foundation by doing the enumeration and demarcation of the entire country into smaller units. He noted that the essence of the demarcation is to help in planning the human and material resources, which are to be deployed to particular areas for the purpose of the census.