The National Population Commission (NPC) of the Federal Government has signed a historic agreement with Nigeria’s integrated technology company Zinox for the supply of tech parts and other accessories for the 2023 national census project, further demonstrating the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to promoting local content.
Zinox received the deal, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council and is valued over N85 billion (FEC).
After a rigorous bid process that included other local and international competitors, Zinox, the company that has already started supplying the first batch of about 100,000 Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) devices required for the nationwide enumeration, emerged as the preferred technical partner for the exercise.
Zinox was found to have met the criteria as an indigenous technology titan with ties throughout the world who has continually enjoyed the confidence of top Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and other global tech titans.
This, it was discovered, led to the Federal Government endorsing the initiative.
Zinox deserves credit for helping the country’s voter registration drive in 2006 and 2010 when major foreign tech companies hired by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were unable to deliver on time.
Zinox laid the groundwork for Nigeria’s digital democracy with the help of their Z-Pad smart device, which INEC is now building upon. The successful completion of the over $200 million INEC contract in 2010 gave Zinox more momentum as a strong, competent domestic company.
Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman of the Zinox Group, claimed that the organization had established a system of honesty and a track record of achievement, both in Nigeria and abroad.
Ekeh added that the nation cannot plan well until there is a reliable data census figure.
Zinox Technologies’ Managing Director, Mrs. Kelechi Okonta, added: “For the Federal Government to consider us among many other companies in the globe is a privilege. They are aware of our capability. All of our resources are being used to ensure its success.
The Nigerian government will conduct its fifth census in 2023, which is slated to take place between March and April. The last census was performed in 2006, during the presidency of President Olusegun Obasanjo, and it has been 17 years since then.
The NPC Chairman, Alhaji Nasir Isa Kwarra, noted that the 2023 census would usher in a new era in housing and human headcount in Nigeria as there would be no overcounting or undercounting. He also added that the devices, when used in conjunction with the forms, maps, and other digital enhancements, would ensure that enumerators are unable to go outside the areas that they have been given.
Additionally, he praised Zinox for the commitment, capacity, and dedication shown in how it has started the contract’s implementation.
In addition to complying with President Muhammadu Buhari’s Executive Order on local content and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) regulation on local Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the procurement, he pointed out that the software (App) that would be used to enable and activate the PDAs was locally developed.
NPC Chairman’s words: “With all enhancements that the National Population Commission is provisioning the devices with, e.g, 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.”
‘‘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.”
