Kogiflame
By ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
Before the assumption of Nasir Isa Kwarra to duty more than a year ago, the activities of the National Population Commission NPC is subsumed under the whims and caprices of analogue format,a situation that was no longer in tune with the current realities as the world moved towards digital age.
For an appointment that came after the dreaded COVID and protracted economic recession,the new helmsman in NPC needed a double edged approach towards redressing the organisation.
Coming at a time when countries around the globe was recovering from the lockdown of all it’s activities as a result of the health emergency of COVID and the anxiety of second and third wave,it needs a lot of wisdom to handle such a sensitive organisation like NPC,but for the mere fact that the new man was equal in task .
Not perturbed by post COVID and it’s attendant restrictions,his desire to operate within the mandate of his new appointment became demanding, geared towards resolving many insinuations sorrounding the need for a new population data,an in road to other developmental needs in Nigeria.
His desire to see an organization that will transmit a generally acceptable outcome of population census in 2022 ,must not be construed and decided with the old order,but through modest equipment that will not translate to more problems to Nigeria leadership, particularly as we battled along with post COVID era.
This is also laced with dual advantage as updating staffers with learning and getting acquainted with the rudiments of electronic transmission of all it’s activities towards 2022 census exercise.
Therefore,the process of digitization of it’s activities and processes became a neccessity,as the new management under Alhaji Nasir Isa Kwarra embarked on wholistic orientation and training of both staff and it’s process,as well provision of neccessary items that facilitated e- transmission process in the organization.
Within the shortest possible time,staffers of the organization got indepth knowledge of digital activities that had become a norm and the process of carrying out official functions in the organisation.
This positive developement had prepared the entire organization with the basic tools of operation towards the next census exercise in 2022 and in an emergency global situation of COVID, economic downturn,so as to reduce costs to the barest minimum in it’s activities.
The seamless digital template adopted across the country by the current Management within a year in office, will also serve as a veritable geared towards a generally acceptable outcome of the 2022 census, by both national and international communities and standards.
The implications of the positive strides of the current leadership of NPC is aimed at reducing costs,time and human interference in all it’s activities capable of producing an outcome of a credible population census exercise in 2022.
This strides remained a non-negotiable stance of the Management in view of the global clamour for a new census exercise in Nigeria, to determine the allocations of basic infrastructural developement, resources, demography,accurate population and with the changing demands and dynamics in National Planning in Nigeria.
Aside the statutory jobs of the NPC towards producing an acceptable and accurate population devoid of any manipulation,it is also timely in Nigeria In view of the general clamour for a new revenue allocation formula by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocations and Fiscal Commission RMAFAC and ongoing town hall meetings to collate the problems and prospects as well as the decision and desire of the six geo-political zones clamour for a new revenue allocation formula.
Without an accurate and current census,the exercise of RMAFAC remained inconclusive, particularly as it is working assiduously towards submission of it’s recommendations for a new revenue formula in December,2021.
The basic indices required aside other prerequisites will be the population and demography of the Local,Sates and the geo-political zones and will also address various agitations ranging from social, economic and political desires of Nigerians.
National Population Commission NPC is better placed towards resolving the incessant conflicts around the country under the guise of multifarious agitations.
All hands must be on deck to support the new leadership of NPC to ensure effective population management in Nigeria.
Abubakar Yusuf Writes From Abuja.
