Technological Innovation 2023

The 2023 Nigeria Population and Housing Census; Nigeria’s first Digital Census, will deploy innovative digital tools and procedures to improve the census taking process. These tools have been tested, approved and have been adopted to be utilized for every aspect of the census process, to ensure data quality and accuracy. They are the Enumeration Area Demarcation, pretesting of tools, recruitment, data quality management, monitoring & evaluation, project management, communications, main data collection, fieldwork monitoring and dissemination. Mapping for the 2023 PHC was firmly anchored on technology and innovation. The EADPad developed in-house, was used for the Enumeration Area Demarcation. It enhanced GIS data capture and processing functionality. The Quality Assurance (QA) Pad also developed for the exercise provided a technology-based approach to ensuring real time quality assurance of the EAD process.

Census Pad

A hybrid digital tool has been developed for the collection of data during the census. It is called the Census Pad. This handles the Geo-spatial component of the system and is used for building numbering and household listing.

Data Quality Management & Quality Assurance

A Data Quality Management (DQM) system was set up for the 2023 PHC as part of the multi-pronged approach to ensuring data quality through checks and facilitation of remedial action while data collection is ongoing. The DQM system will ensure data accuracy, completeness, consistency and timeliness, by managing the four critical components of the census operations. These are:

  • EA Frame
  • Personnel
  • Software - Program
  • Hardware - Tablets & Tools

The DQMs will monitor the dashboards, manage field applications, and interface with field functionaries on issues around data quality. A 5-tier quality assurance strategy is being deployed for proper quality checks for the 2023 Nigeria PHC. In this strategy, the different layers and components of quality assurance plans are divided into five major areas that touches on tools, methodology and processes. The 5-tier strategy are;

  • Enumeration tracking dashboard
  • CAPI
  • Geo monitoring
  • Field operation monitoring
  • Independent peer monitoring

A customized application will be used by Quality Assurance Officers to monitor the work in their EAs and receive communication from the DQM on areas to ground-truth or fact check

Data Quality Management & Quality Assurance
  • Census Mapping otherwise known as Enumeration Area Demarcation is the division of the Country into manageable units of Enumeration area for the Census exercise
  • Digital Mapping is the automation of the Enumeration Area Demarcation process, procedure and Deliverables. It is the contemporary method of mapping in the current digital world. It produces base line data for Digital Population and Housing Census which is the UN recommendation for the 2020 round of Census taking all over the World. Other Countries who have undertaken Digital Census in Africa are Ethiopia, Kenya and Ghana.
Monitoring and Evaluation