Yemisi Izuora
The National Population Commission, NPC, today flagged off the third phase of the Enumeration Area Demarcation, EAD, project aimed at splitting the state into small units in preparation to the 2018 census exercise.
Addressing residents of the area during the exercise, the commissioner NPC, Lagos state, Mrs. Abimbola Salu-hundeyin explained that the EAD forms the foundation on which the entire census architecture stands,
According to her, the exercise forms the basis for the planning and execution of the census project, just as she stressed that importance of census cannot be over emphasised.
Salu-Hundeyin added that the strategic importance of the exercise is to satisfy the needs for demographic, economic and social information required for drawing up development plans and programs.
“It is an initiative of vital importance in order to understand reality”the commissioner explained, adding that it is in recognition of this that the Commission has adopted a meticulous and gradual approach to the 2018 census of which EAD allows for practical experimentation of the methodology and necessary adjustment in implementation and flexibility.
She recalled that the Commission had previously demarcated 37 local government areas in all the 36 states of the federation and the federal capital territory, Abuja under the previous EAD’s.
The Commissioner also noted that in 2016, Mushin local government area was demarcated under the phase 2 of the exercise.
She said that after the completion of the EAD phase 3, the Commission would have successfully demarcated two local government areas in each state of the federation and that the remaining local government areas will be covered under the subsequent phases of the EAD.
Salu-Hundeyin said the exercise is particularly important for Lagos state because of its fast growing population.
According to her, Lagos state is fast becoming a ‘High-End-Service Centre’ non like in the whole of West Africa, and therefore the need for the same to be demographically hinged for better livability, economic enhancement and sustainable development.