Kingsley U N Chikwendu —
Nigeria’s technology brand, Zinox has signed a deal with the Federal Government for the supply of tech components and other accessories to be used for the 2023 national housing and population census.
In a statement by the National Population Commission (NPC) released yesterday, it said the deal further justifies President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration’s commitment to the promotion and use of local content.
The contract, worth over N85 billion, was awarded to Zinox after ratification by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
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According to the NPC, Zinox, which has already commenced supply of the first batch of about 100,000 units of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) devices required for the nationwide enumeration, emerged as the preferred technical partner for the exercise after coming through a bid process involving other local and international technology companies.
It said Zinox became preferred due to its global following, as it has consistently enjoyed the confidence of leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and other tech heavyweights globally.
The NPC also said Zinox as a tech firm, did the nation’s voter registration exercise in 2006 and 2010.
Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group said the company had built a system of integrity and a record of excellence globally. Emphasizing on the need for accurate date generation, he also revealed that until there was a credible data census figure, the country cannot plan well.
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NPC Chairman, Alhaji Nasir Isa Kwarra stressed on the significance the 2023 census would come with, saying that it will signal a new dawn in housing and human headcount in the country, further revealing that there would be no over-counting or under-counting.
Kwarra added that the devices, when commissioned with the forms, maps and other digital enhancements, would ensure that enumerators are unable to go beyond the areas assigned to them.
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While commending Zinox for its dedication, commitment and huge capacity displayed in the way it has commenced execution of the contract, he added that the software (App) will be used to enable and activate the PDAs.
“With all enhancements that the National Population Commission is provisioning the devices with, example, the Mobile Device Management, we can monitor the enumerators on the field and ensure that the data provided by Nigerians are secured and well managed for their privacy, he said.
“The geospatial resources that NPC has acquired will be deployed on the devices. This will ensure that all Nigerians are counted where they are and live. We will also be able to collect statistics on housing type and characteristics for better physical and social planning by the government for the nation.
‘‘The homeless will be counted, tied to their usual place of abode, referenced with geo-coordinates; the Special Population: nomads, migrants, people in transit, etc, will be counted with geo-reference to where they are found at the time of the Census. Everyone will be counted because all Nigerians count”, he concluded.
The 2023 census, scheduled to hold between March and April, will be the fifth to be conducted by the Nigerian government since independence in 1960.
It’s been 17 years since last census which was held in 2006 under the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
