Ghana first “digital” population census set to commence on Sunday, 27th June 2021. This year’s census will be a little different from the previous ones conducted across the years.
The Ghana Statistical Service(GSS) plans to migrate from the “traditional” counting methods of paper questionnaires to robust ICT tools like Tablets for capturing data during the census. According to officials of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), going green will save the country from the printing of over seven million household questionnaires.
Speaking at the launch of the event, The Vice president of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, emphasized the importance of the census data to the government in “economic transformation and policy formation.”
“The 2021 Census will provide important data for the formulation of policies to transform Ghana’s economy and spur economic development. Knowing the dynamics of how the population is changing helps us in planning our education needs, where to locate health facilities, how to allocate our social expenditures, and identify those who need help the most in our society,” Dr. Bawumia stated.
“I am highly impressed that the GSS has incorporated ICT module in the census to ascertain the level of digital application and access in the country. Indeed, the Census will provide comprehensive data on ICT access and usage in the country to enhance development in the sector,” he added.
According to reports from Myjoyonline, Data gathered from this year’s population census will be linked to databases from seven other West African countries to create a harmonized system for the sub-region.
The Ghana digital population census 2021 is expected to capture comprehensive data that will be used to track the country’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals(SDG). Therefore, the GSS encourages all and sundry to make themselves available to be counted.
