Insecurity in Nigeria: Borno NPC debunks exclusion of six LGAs for NDHS

The Borno State Director of National Population Commission, NPC, Comrade Haruna Ibrahim, has denied reports in some national dailies that the Commission has excluded six (6) local government areas from being part of the ongoing National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023–2024 due to insecurity.

Recall that there were media reports that claimed that Guzamala, Mobbar, Abadam, Chibok, Marte, and Magumeri local government areas that were hitherto described as flashpoints in Borno State as a result of insecurity posed by terrorists may not be part of the ongoing exercise.

According to a press statement signed by the Borno State Director of NPC, Comrade Ibrahim, which was made available to our correspondent in Maiduguri on Wednesday, the exclusion of the affected LGAs has nothing to do with insecurity; rather, 21 out of the 27 local government areas that were partaking in the exercise were selected on a random basis.

“The National Population Commission, NPC Borno State, wishes to clarify that the exclusion of six (6) local government areas in the ongoing National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023–2024 was not due to insecurity.

“The process of selecting participating local governments and communities across the state was purely done through random sampling.

“The random selection was not only peculiar to Borno State but to all 36 states of the Federation.

“The Commission wishes to inform the public that areas such as Baga, Damboa, and Kala-Balge have already been covered.

“The Commission wishes to reiterate its readiness to conduct the survey in all the selected local government areas and request maximum support from the public to ensure a hitch-free exercise.” The statement informed.

Our correspondent gathered that NDHS has been instrumental in providing invaluable insights that informevidence-based policies, enhance public health interventions, and contribute to the broader development agenda of Nigeria as a nation.