The National Population Commission (NPC) says it has recruited 52 enumerators preparatory to the 2018 census to ensure the success of the exercise.

Dr Isiaka Yahaya, Acting Director, Public Affairs, NPC, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday that the commission had also employed use of high resolution satellite for enumeration and demarcation exercise.

Yahaya said that the enumeration and demarcation process, which is ongoing, was preparatory to the proper census and would involve 50 enumerators and two supervisors.

He explained that enumeration and demarcation entailed the division of the country into smaller units that would be covered by an enumerator during the census.

The director said that the essence of the exercise was to assist the enumerators have an idea of the place to cover as well as to know what is manageable during the census.

Yahaya said that the commission had finished the stage one and two of the exercise, and had moved to the last stage.

“We are currently on phase three, which started on Feb. 20 and which will end on March 12, to cover about 37 local government areas of the federation to ensure that every area in Nigeria is covered,’’ he said.

Yahaya said that the use of high resolution satellite would help the enumerators locate the houses occupied as well as vacant houses.

“There is also a personal digital system where the entire map, houses are stored to enable the enumerators do their job effectively.

“We have properly trained our demarcators for each of the local government we are covering to ensure a credible enumeration.

“We are collaborating with the states and local government councils to carry out these activities.

“The purpose of this is to make sure that everybody in Nigeria is counted and to ensure that there will be no over counting or under counting,’’ said the official.

(NAN)