Malakia Nashongo

Oshakati - Oshana regional governor Elia Irimari has pledged facilities and resources to the Namibia Statistics Agency for the population and housing census slated for later this year.

“The Oshana Regional Council (ORC) will be availing facilities like classrooms where they can operate from, and also part of our movable resources. We are prepared to assist the NSA with this exercise,” he noted.

Irimari made these remarks during the NSA’s engagement with the ORC leadership here last  Tuesday.

The NSA also engaged the local authority leadership in Oshana on the readiness for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

Irimari welcomed the census exercise, adding that statistical data is the backbone of development in any country.

“Data is important for a country, for us to be able to map out our development, in terms of social, economic and even political and other aspects of development. You cannot do without a census,” said the governor.

He further implored the nation and community of Oshana to fully cooperate with the officials during this exercise, saying it is only through data that a nation or region will be able to map out its future objectives accurately.

On his part, the census manager at the NSA Isak Neema warned the public not to fall victim to scammers, and to refrain from giving out personal information.

“We don’t even ask for residents to identify themselves with identity documents. We don’t ask for any other thing that can be used to get their money stolen, or lead to property being stolen in that regard,” Neema stressed.

* Malakia Nashongo is an information officer at MICT Oshana.