The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has said that it has been able to list 70% of the estimated 11 million structures in the country in the past six days.
According to Government Statistician, Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim this is part of the first phase of the 2021 Population and Housing Census.
“The exercise is in two phases. The first phase is what we are currently doing and the essence of doing that exercise is to achieve our primary objective of the census undertaking, which has to do with comprehensive and complete coverage. So ahead of the enumeration exercise, we combed around the country to ensure that structures at different levels of completion are chalked and listed,” he said at a press briefing on Sunday, June 20, 2021.
Prof. Annim stated that the service is confident that it should be able to complete the remaining 30% of the listing of the structures by June 23, 2021.
“Ahead of the exercise, what we did was to get a sense of the workload, and we keep on saying that as a country we are rolling out a fully digital census and what that means is that for the first time in our census undertaking, we have benchmarked data specifically building footprints that we have picked from satellite imagery and other sources from other international partners and ahead of the exercise we were able to estimate in excess of 11 million structures in the country. As we speak, after the 6th day of data collection, we have covered 70% of these structures. This gives us a lot of confidence moving into the remaining four days that the remaining 30% will be covered as we pull our officers out of the field on June 23, 2021.”
He further stated that steps have been put in place to help Ghanaians easily identify the legitimate enumerators that will be working with the service during the census.
“I’m urging all persons in Ghana that our enumerators have been carefully marked to ensure that you go through some protocols if you have some doubts whether they are truly working for Ghana Statistical Service or otherwise. All of them are expected to carry with them the national ID. In the event where they don’t have a national ID, they should have a census ID card. In the event that they are using a letter of introduction from the Ghana Statistical Service, respondents are to demand the national ID that all of us are conversant with.”
“In addition to that, they should come with their reflective jacket, as the honourable minister indicated. Our reflective jacket is light blue and the inscription is clearly on it with the logo of the census and the 2020 round of population and housing census behind. They should also carry on them a cup, indicating the Ghana statistical Service and, for that matter, the census undertaking.”
About 2021 census
The 2021 population and housing census is set to commence on June 27, 2021.
The exercise, which will run till July 11, 2021, is meant to generate data that will be used in decision-making and planning for the development of the country and its citizens.