There is no doubt that Population and Housing Census plays a very crucial role in National Development and without it, it would be very difficult if not impossible for any nation to be able to effectively and efficiently implement policies and programs for development.
The Population and Housing Census is the official enumeration of all persons and all living quarters in a country at a given time.
In another perceptive, it implies collection, compilation, evaluation, publication and dissemination of demographic, social and economic statistics relating to population.
The first Population Census in Ghana was conducted in 1891, during the Gold Coast era. The significant use of Population and Housing Census cannot be overemphasized as far as development is concerned. It enables Government to allocate funds equitably and properly for community programmes and services including education, housing, and healthcare for the elderly and children.
Besides the above, district assemblies use census data as a yardstick for the allocation of funds for the construction of new roads, water, community libraries and other development projects.
Additionally, organizations rely solely on census information data to provide social services. Aside the above, business organizations use the data as a tool for locating factories, shopping centers, banks and offices, which in turn creates jobs for the flock of unemployed citizens in the country.
Developed countries also need census data when planning technical and economic assistance to third world countries.
Census data also guide the Electoral Commission in determining consistency boundaries. The Central Government and District Assemblies need census to enable them monitor the structure of the population in order to make policy planning and administration more effective.
It is against these backdrops that the Government of Ghana intends conducting the Population and Housing Census in March next year.
However, this could be the second time Ghana is combining a Population and Housing Census. The first one was in 2000.
It is therefore imperative for all stakeholders and Ghanaians to participate actively in the exercises by staying at their area of residence to be counted and given accurate information and to co-operate with the enumerators and supervisors since this would benefit all Ghanaians.
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) should be well equipped with the necessary resources and logistics. For instance, briefing the Vice president, John Mahama sometime ago about the preparation of the census, the Government Statistician, Dr Grace Bediako, indicated that about 25 million people in an estimated five million households are expected to be covered nationwide, this would require technical equipments, vehicles and the training of about 45,000 persons to cover 36 enumeration areas nationwide.
She told the Vice President that the census was estimated at the cost of 48 million dollars and said the Government was expected to provide half of the money, while the country source the remaining half from its development partners.
Government should therefore, as a matter of urgency view this national exercise as a very important one and equip the GSS to enable it to undertake the exercise successfully to benefit the country.
Government should also start lobbying its development partners to get the half of the money for the programme to be successful.
The media has a very crucial role to play in this direction by informing and educating the citizenry about the importance of the Population and Housing Census and encouraging them to actively participate in the exercise.
Source: Daily Graphic, Thursday December 3, 2009, Page 23.
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