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Tag: National Population Commission (NPC).

  • Census: Buhari to decide on date, says NPC boss 

    The Acting Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Alh. Hassan Bashir on Thursday said the commission is pushing hard to get the consent of President Muhammadu Buhari to conduct the next population census.

    Briefing newsmen on the commencement of the fieldwork for the continuation of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise which precedes any population census, Bashir said: “we are waiting for the confirmation and proclamation from President Muhammadu Buhari before we know the date for the next census.

    “Until there is a proper planning, the nation will not be able to plan effectively. We are proud to say that Mr. President is doing very well in the provision of infrastructure. We are convinced that he will continue to provide infrastructure for the commission.”

    Census, the NPS boss said will serve as a guide in identifying human elements that can be exploited for development process and formation of people responsive welfare Programme.

    He maintained that the EAD was the bedrock of the census and formed the basis for the planning and execution of the census project.

    He explained that the EAD exercise involve the division of the country into small geographical areas to facilitate enumeration and scientifically verify doubts and contentions.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, the EAD exercise is not the enumeration of persons living in the country and its outcome will not in any way determine the population of any community, local government or state,” he said.

    He emphasized the need for the training the trainers exercise saying, “The quality of the personnel for the EAD has great impact on the outcome.”

    Bashir said the commission was not leaving any stone unturned in order to ensure that the EAD was carried out meticulously, professionally and scientifically.

    NPC is still maintaining that to conduct the proposed population census, over N220 billion will be required due to logistics.

    It would be recalled that the former NPC boss told newsmen about two years back that about N220 billion will be needed to conduct the next census.

    About N22.5 billion according to findings will also be needed to carry out the demarcation of 112 EAD across the country.

    The EAD started on Thursday, March 21, according to Bashir and ends on April 13, 2019 across 23 states of the federation.

    Bashir went further that: “It is in recognition of this fact that the Commission has adopted a meticulous and gradual approach to the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise. After each phase, a stock taking is done, the quality of job executed, as well as, the personnel involved in the fieldwork are reviewed. The Commission has so far demarcated 112 Local Government Areas in all the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory under the previous Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercises.

    “The Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) will be commencing today and will take place in one LGA in 18 States out of the 23 selected States of the Federation. The mairggjcgtateseharaely, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Adamawa and Taraba are, due to 3663mm, stepped down till Saturday  30lh March, 2019.”

    On the budgetary provision for the proposed census, the NPC Director General, Dr. Ghaji Bello told newsmen that: “I agree with you that there is no provision for the Census in the 2019 budget. Normally, it is done within a wide service vote, which is directly under the presidency. When proclamation is made by President Muhammadu Buhar, we are hopeful, having put the elections behind us, we are of the view and we are pushing very hard that Mr. President will graciously look at the commission favorably so that we can have the next census because without the census there will be no planning.”

     

     

  • Ambode’s wife welcomes first baby of the year

    Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode on Tuesday, 1st of January welcomed the first baby of the year in the State that was delivered at 12am to the family of Mr and Mrs Adegbesan at Island Maternity, the baby weighed 3.7Kg.

    The annual celebration of the first baby of the year in the State held separately at Shomolu General Hospital, Maternal and Child Care Centre (MCC), Gbaja, and Lagos Island Maternity Hospital Tuesday.

    The governor’s wife restated her call for pregnant women in the State to always patronize government health facilities for safe delivery and also immunize their children against killer diseases.

    She said it was important for mothers to give quality attention and priority to the well-being of their children in the overall interest of the society.

    “The huge government expenditure on infant and maternal health infrastructure, could only be justified by commensurate use of the modern facilities by the women, their babies and the children”, she said.

    She noted further that government’s efforts in stemming maternal and infant mortality would be slow in materializing, if expectant mothers did not go to the centres to use the facilities.

    According to her, “I wish to note that Lagos State Government has continued to strengthen the health sector with the provision of neonatal care units, equipment and resources to our State hospitals, to enhance the quality of maternal and child care services in our State.

    “The workers in the Primary Health Care centres and General Hospitals are committed and determined to provide quality care, but you have to go there and use the facilities. Mother and Child Centres are also being located in nearly every neighbourhood of the State, for excellent infant and maternal health care delivery.”

    Read Also: Ambode swears in Muri-Okunola as HOS

    Stressing the need for immunization, she said: “My passionate appeal to mothers, therefore, is to ensure they complete the full course of immunization for their children, to prevent childhood killers like measles, diarrhea, pneumonia, tuberculosis, tetanus and hepatitis, to mention a few. In addition, parents must avoid the use of contaminated water, malnutrition and poor sanitation, as they also contribute to childhood mortality.

    The Governor’s wife also commended the National Population Commission (NPC) for registering newborns at Lagos hospitals, urging parents to always cooperate with the agency, for accurate data compilation.

    Besides, she urged expectant mothers to maintain good hygiene and health-promoting lifestyle in pregnancy, to ensure the well-being of their expected babies.

    Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris said as part of efforts to facilitate access to health care, the State Government recently implemented the Health Insurance scheme, and urged all residents to take advantage of the initiative.

    “It is our hope in this New Year, with the implementation of the Lagos State Health Scheme; more Lagosians will have access to improved services and enjoy the kind of care they would have been unable to before now.

    “With the exemplary leadership of His Excellency, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, you can be confident that the State will continue to stimulate the required quality of health service delivery that is poised to address existing health gaps and even new health challenges that might emerge in the future,” Idris said.

    Also speaking, wife of the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) for next year’s gubernatorial election in the State, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu commended Governor Ambode for his commitment and investment in provision of infrastructure to scale up the health sector.

    Ibijoke, who is the Chief Medical Director of Shomolu General Hospital, said it was on record that the facility had enjoyed tremendous support from the State Government, while the Governor recently approved funds to demolish and rebuild the distressed main building, among others.

    At Shomolu General Hospital, the first baby was delivered by the family of Awofeso Adara Ojo by 1:47am with a weight of 3.0kg, while at Gbaja MCC, the first baby was delivered by the family of Amudalat Ojo by 1:58am with a weight of 2kg.

    Aside the gifts given to the first babies, the wife of the governor also distributed Special Mummy’s Pack to all the babies at the three hospitals.

     

     

  • NPC selects 37 communities for Demographic Health Survey in Katsina

    The National Population Commission ( NPC ) has selected 37 communities in Katsina State for the conduct of the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) in the state.

    The NPC Federal Commissioner in charge of Katsina and Kaduna States, Alhaji Bala Almu Banye, disclosed this to newsmen in Katsina.

    Banye said that the exercise would be conducted between August and December, 2018, nationwide.

    According to him, the 37 communities are from 31 selected local government areas in the state.

    He said that the NPC field workers were expected to visit 30 households randomly in each community to solicit information about certain things.

    ‘’They will investigate on the factors that impact on maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality; pregnancy care; female genital cutting and fistula.

    ‘’Blood sample will also be collected for malaria, anemia and genotype test,’’ he said.

    The federal commissioner, therefore, called on the public to cooperate with the field Workers and provide detailed information on the questions they would be asked for.

    Read Also: NPC to conduct $11m national survey

    He said that experts would also conduct tests on malaria, anemia and genotype tests on members of households they visited.

    He said that the exercise was aimed at collecting high-quality data for policy formulation, planning, monitoring and evaluation.

    Banye further says the 2018 NDHS is the sixth to be conducted in the country, and that the survey is supposed to be conducted after every five years.

    ‘’NDHS is conducted in 52 countries in the world; the last NDHS in Nigeria was conducted in 2013,’’ he said.

    The NPC Director in the state, Alhaji Lawal Ahmad, said that nine staff would conduct the exercise in the state.

    Ahmad said medical scientists and nurses would conduct the survey.

    He called on the local government councils and traditional institutions affected by the survey to support the exercise by allowing the team to conduct their work without hindrance.

    The director also urged the media to intensify efforts at sensitizing the public to the importance of the exercise.

  • 2019: NPC to generate records of dead persons for INEC

    The National Population Commission ( NPC ) said it had commenced the listing all dead persons in the country for the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC ) ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    Mr Eze Duruiheoma, Chairman of the Commission, told the News men in Abuja on Tuesday that the NPC would complete the process and hand over the accurate data to INEC within two months.

    “In the next one month or two, the data will be made available but we have to be sure of the numbers before we make it available to INEC.

    “We do not have 100 per cent coverage in registration of deaths and births.

    Read Also: Under-age voting: Disquiet over non-release of report by INEC

    “But the 50 per cent we have from it will be made available to INEC for them to clean out dead names from voters register,’’ he said.

    He said that the final stage of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) between INEC and NPC would be implemented soon.

    He reassured that the partnership between the two agencies would help ascertain records of dead people nationwide.

    The News men recalls that INEC recently requested for the list of dead citizens in the country from NPC, beginning from 2015, to enable it to “sanitise’’ the voters register.

    NAN

  • Buhari names 23 NPC commissioners, INEC member

    President Muhammadu Buhari, Tuesday named 23 member National Population Commission (NPC) for Senate confirmation.

    He also nominated one additional Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commissioner and two non-legal practitioners as members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission for confirmation.

    The position of the NPC members is said to have been vacant for about three years making it difficult for the board of the commission to form quorum for its meetings.

    President Buhari’s nominations are contained in a letter dated 27th March 2018 entitled “ Request for confirmation of appointment of 23 members for National Population Commission” addressed to the Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

    The letter read in part, “In accordance with the provision of Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), I write to forward to the Senate for confirmation, the following names of 23 nominees representing their respective states at the National Population Commission.”

    Those named included, Nwanne Johnny Nwabuisi (Abia), Dr. Clifford T.O. Zirra (Adamawa), Mr. Chidi Christopher Ezeoke mni(Anambra), Barr. Isah Audu Buratai(Borno), Navy Captain Charles Iyam Ogwa (rtd) (Cross River), Sir Richard Odibo (Delta0, Okereke Darlington Onuabuchi (Ebonyi), Mr. A.D. Olusegun Aiyejina (Edo), Ekike Ezeh(Enugu) and Hon. Abubakar Mohammed Danburam (Gombe).

    Others nominated NPC members include, Prof. Uba S.F Nnabue (Imo), Dr. Abdulmalik Mohammed Durunguwa (Kaduna), Suleiman Ismaila Lawal (Kano), Prof. Jimoh Habibat Isah(Kogi), Dr. Sa’adu Ayinla Alanamu (Kwara), Nasir Isa Kwarra(Nasarawa), Barr. Aliyu Datti(Niger), Yeye(Mrs)  Seyi Adererinokun Olusanya(Ogun), Prince(Dr) Oladiran Garvey Iyantan(Ondo), Senator Mudashiru Oyetunde Hussain (Osun), Mrs. Cecilia Arsun Dapoet (Plateau), Dr.Ipalibo Macdonald Harry (Rivers) and Sale S. Saany (Taraba)

    President Buhari nominated Kaduna State based Barrister Festus Okoye, for confirmation as National Commissioner representing South East geo-political zone.

    He named Senator Abbe Ali (Katsina) North West and Mohammed Sagir (Niger) North Central for confirmation as non-legal practitioners members of the Federal Judicial Service Commission.

    President Buhari solicited expeditious consideration of the requests.

    Read Also: 2019: Buhari has right to seeks for second term – Textile workers

  • Children’s Day: Six out of 10 Nigerian children experiences violence – NPC

    The National Population Commission (NPC) says six out of 10 children in Nigeria experienced some form of violence before the age of 18.

    The Chairman of the commission, Chief Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), disclosed this in his remarks at the commemoration of this year’s Children’s Day on Saturday in Abuja.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the celebration has: “Child Protection and the SDGs: Issues and opportunity’’ as its theme.

    Duruiheoma , who was represented by Mr Bolaji Akinsulie, a Director in the commission, based the figure on the 2014 Nigeria Violence Against Children survey.

    The survey was conducted by the commission with support from UNICEF and the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.

    Duruiheoma who identified violence against children to include emotional, physical and sexual abuse, emphasised that it entail neglect and child labour, among others.

    The objective of the survey, according to him, was to provide information that would guide policies and strategies to prevent, identify and respond to the issue of violence against children, among others.

    Duruiheoma also decried the prevalence of violence in the country, adding that half of the children experience physical violence while one in four girls, and one in 10 boys experience sexual violence.

    He further noted that one in six girls and one in five boys experienced emotional violence by parents, caregivers or adult relatives.

    According to him, addressing the menace in the country is a collective responsibility of government in terms of investment, parents and well-meaning Nigerians.

    “We must device a model to find out who the drivers of violence against children are in the society and ensure appropriate penalty are meted on them.

    “Violence against the children is not just a child protection or child right issue but a moral imperative.

    “Failure to invest in tackling this leads to substantial social and economic losses,’’ he said.

    Duruiheoma, who reaffirmed that Nigeria made commitment to end the scourge some years back, however, said that such commitment should be backed by actions through budgetary allocation and effective utilisation of the fund.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 78 schools were accredited out of the 90 schools that indicated interest in participating in the commemoration.

    Some of the schools that featured were Army Day Secondary School, Maitama; LEA Primary School Wuse Zone 111, Life Camp and Kubwa; Junior Secondary Schools Jabi, Life Camp, Gwarinpa, Zuba, Abuja, Garki as well as School of the Handicap.

    Others included Government Science and Technical College, Garki; Shehu Shagari Primary School, Garki, and Government Secondary School, Karu Site.

    Highpoint of the event was the march pass by various schools and the inauguration of End Violence Against Children Campaign in FCT, among others.

  • Yobe records 100 deliveries in IDP camp in two years

    Yobe records 100 deliveries in IDP camp in two years

    The Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has registered 100 births at the Pompomari Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Damaturu in two years.

    Alhaji Musa Jidawa, the SEMA’s Executive Secretary made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Damaturu.

    He said that 57 boys and 43 girls were delivered at the camp clinic safely.

    “The camp clinic provided all the ante-natal care and the deliveries were very safe with mothers and babies in very good health,’’ he said.

    SEMA on Thursday organized a lavish ceremony for the 2,000 camp inmates to celebrate the birth of the 100 babies.

    It also donated 100 wrappers and baby clothes to each of the 100 mothers and babies as well as birth certificates obtained from the National Population Commission (NPC).

    Jidawa commended the state government for providing adequate feeding, medical care, clothing as well as water and sanitation facilities in the camp to support the displaced persons.

    “The support provided by the state government and other humanitarian agencies had given the IDPs a sense of belonging and an opportunity to live a normal and dignified life in the camp,’’ he said.

    Mr Midala Usman, the Head United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA) in Yobe commended SEMA for providing access to good medical care to the mothers and babies.

    Musa Mshelia, an NPC Assistant Director, Birth registration, urged parents to emulate SEMA in obtaining birth certificates for their children and wards.

    Bintu Modu, a mother of five, said her four deliveries in her village came with complications, adding that she had a safe delivery at the camp due to the medical services at the camp.

     

    “I most sincerely thank Yobe government, SEMA and all other agencies who contributed to safe delivery of pregnant women and thereby saving the lives of mothers and children,’’ she said.

  • Harmonize your biometrics platforms, UN tells Nigeria

    Harmonize your biometrics platforms, UN tells Nigeria

    The UN has called on Nigeria to harmonise its multiple biometric platforms for more efficiency.

    The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed, stated this on Friday when she received Nigeria’s delegates to the 50th session of the UN Commission on Population and Development in New York.

    She said that a central body for the biometrics would reduce the financial implication of the current system and make it less cumbersome.

    “I would raise one concern and that is that in Nigeria we have a multiplicity of platforms that are doing a biometrics on everything; that is not efficient.

    “It is not cost-effective and there should be a better way for us, to say that, you have the banks taking everybody’s biometrics, immigration is doing it. I mean everybody is doing.

    “By the time we went through it, there must be some basis that we can take and centralize that in some way and give it the premise for everybody’s biometric.

    “So may be in a sense, the argument should be who should hold that responsibility of having the main frame and everyone now comes on and takes off their data for their constituency or their purpose.”

    Earlier in his remarks, the Director-General, National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Ghaji Bello, commended Mohammed for her service to humanity and appealed for her office to assist Nigeria where necessary.

    “We would also like to crave your indulgence to place before you one or two areas that we passionately believe you will assist our country.

    “Coming from the population angle, there are issues of population and development.

    “You are aware more than any other person of the level of underdevelopment with respect to health, education and lack of job opportunities back home.

    “And quite a number of things that will make life easy for the average person; the whole essence of governance is service.

    “So we know why you are here and we believe that you will distinguish yourself further and work in such a manner that it would impact on the global scene much more than before.”

     

  • Buhari, NPC call for urgent investment in Africa’s out-of-school girls

    Buhari, NPC call for urgent investment in Africa’s out-of-school girls

    The Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari and the National Population Commission (NPC), have called for urgent investment Africa’s out-of-school teenage girls.

    Buhari and the commission, made the call at a side event organised by the Federal Government in collaboration with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) at the UN headquarters on Wednesday in New York.

    The Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was part of the ongoing 50th session of the UN Commission on Population and Development.

    Buhari, whose speech was read by Rep. Asabe Bashir, Deputy Chairperson, House of Representatives Committee on Women in Parliament, said the population of Africa’s out-of-school teenage girls was alarming.

    “Out-of-school teenage girls – ages 10 to 19 years – represent almost a quarter of the female population in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    “These girls are without opportunities to attend schools or complete their education because of severe economic, social and cultural issues.

    “These issues include poverty; early, forced or child marriage; childbearing and motherhood; and lack of access to quality and timely reproductive health care services among others.

    “The conditions are particularly worse for those girls caught in the web of insurgency.

    “Thus, they are on the verge of losing the opportunities of achieving their aspirations,” Buhari said.

    According to her, the event was Nigeria’s means of calling global attention on the three enumerated areas of investment that are prerequisite to realising the girls’ full potential.

    “First is addressing their sexual and reproductive health needs, family planning counselling and services.

    “Second, re-enrolment into formal schools to at least secondary school completion level; and third, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship”.

    The wife of the president explained that the event was aimed at presenting different dimensions of the challenges that these out-of-school teenage girls encountered.

    “It is also to showcase how a modest investment in their lives can make difference and accrue benefits that are important for realising the future we want in Africa.

    “The future that we want is reaping demographic dividends, achieving sustainable development and relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to our development aspirations.

    “By this, Nigeria welcomes partnerships and collaborations that will support efforts in Africa.

    “Such efforts must be tailored towards ensuring that these girls are not left behind as we strive to achieve the SDGs.”

    Also speaking, the Chairman, NPC, Mr Eze Duruiheoma, said “if we must reap demographic dividend in Africa, all population segments, particularly those further left behind, must be included.

    “The demography in focus – out-of-school teenage girls – constitutes a huge resource for reaping the dividend we seek, which is full implementation of the 2030 agenda.

    “The agenda seeks to realise the SDGs, if the right and timely investments are made to address their needs.

    “The event is to showcase the far-reaching benefits derivable from investing in the girls’ education – re-enrolment to completion of at least secondary school level”.

    The Director-General of the commission, Mr Ghaji Bello, called for the enforcement of the relevant laws that made provision for ensuring that children are educated to a basic level.

    “We have the resources to do that in Nigeria and we have to hold our leaders accountable to the promises they made to the people.

    “If our leaders can spend only 10 per cent of the resources on those things which make life meaningful for the masses, there will be great improvements in the lives of the citizens,” Bello said.

    In his remarks, the Charge D’affaires, Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the UN, Anthony Bosah, regretted the impacts of culture and corruption on the continent and its citizens.

    Represented by the Spokesperson for the Mission, Bolaji Akinremi, Bosah said the mission recently sponsored a resolution on “Illicit Financial Flows and Asset Recovery” at the UN.

    According to him, this is in tandem with the President Muhammadu Buhari’s anti-corruption agenda.

    The theme of the event, attended by African representatives and partners, was: “Investing In Out-of-school Teenage Girls: A Priority for Achieving Demographic Dividend, Sustainable Development and SDGs in Africa”.

     

  • 2018 census can’t be manipulated, says commissioner

    2018 census can’t be manipulated, says commissioner

    A Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission (NPC), Mrs. Gloria Izonfuo, has assured that the national census scheduled for 2018 will not be manipulated by anybody.

    Declaring the third phase of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) in Nembe Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, open, Izonfuo, said the 2018 census would be biometric based.

    “It will seek to capture the facial impression and fingerprints of persons during the census period. Any hope of gaining advantage through manipulation of EAD will at best be an illusion that cannot be realized as only persons physically seen will be counted and their biometrics taken”, she said.

    She appealed to the state government, local government councils, traditional institutions and communities to support the commission in carrying out the EAD ahead of the census.

    She urged all the stakeholders to sensitise the people and allow the commission unfettered access to facilities and places to be demarcated.

    “We want to make a passionate appeal for these stakeholders to refrain from undue intervention in the EAD project. The staff should be allowed to carry out their duties professionally and give to the nation an EAD frame that will for the basis for a successful census”, she said.

    She explained that the EAD exercise was not the enumeration of persons living in the country and its outcome would not determine the population of any community, local government or state.

    She described the EAD is a division of the country into small geographical areas to facilitate enumeration adding that the commission will count only persons found in such units.

    Izonfuo, therefore, said that the population figures of any administrative unit would not be determined by the number of EAs that had been carved out of such units.

    She said: “Adequate logistics have been put in place for effective deployment of personnel an materials during the EAD exercise. Vehicles for the movement of demarcators and materials are being provided.

    “The assistance of local government councils and traditional institution is being solicited in the provisions of accommodation for the field staff. The support of the state government and security agencies are being solicited to ensure adequate security of personnel and materials during the exercise”.

    She said the commission was deploying sophisticated technology to carry out the EAD adding that the methodology for the census was designed to achieve full geographical Information System (GIS) compliance.

    She said: “High resolution satellite imagery will be used to ensure that no area is left demarcated or no place duplicated. The process being created will not allow for the creation of imaginary EAs and any attempt to include non-existing households and buildings in the EAs will be detected through satellite imagery.

    “To us at the commission, the significance of the EAD goes beyond the conduct of the 2018 census as we plan to establish no maintain a national frame including locality list and house numbering for future censuses and surveys in line with the mandate of the commission.

    “Personal Digital Assistance (PDA) will be used in capturing spatial data and estimate EAs during demarcation. This scientific approach to demarcation will eliminate human elements as the process is capable of detecting human errors and preventing manipulations”.