Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, the Gambia) – Statistician General Nyakasi MB Sanyang announced that the recently concluded census listing and enumeration exercise has been a resounding success, with synchronized field data showing that 98% of households across the country have been counted.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, MB Sanyang highlighted that this year’s census is one of the most successful in the nation’s history, with 95.4% of the population and 97.9% of households reportedly enumerated.

Commending the public for their cooperation and support, the Statistician General  acknowledged that while achieving 100% coverage is always challenging, this year’s results represent a significant milestone. As of July 1st, 2024, data indicates that approximately 96% of the total population—translating to 2,528,456 individuals—has been counted.

Despite the impressive achievement, the Statistician General noted some challenges encountered during the process, including issues with non-payment of field officers and technical difficulties with some of the enumeration tablets. These challenges are being addressed to ensure accuracy and accountability.

In a testament to the exercise’s success, Dr. William Muhwava, Chief Demographic and Social Statistics Director of the Economic Commission for Africa, praised the performance, labeling it one of the best in the 2020 census round, potentially the second highest.

To ensure comprehensive coverage, the Statistician General announced a two-week extension for households that have not yet been listed. Household heads are encouraged to contact the toll-free number 1242 to ensure they are included in this critical national exercise.

As of the remuneration of the personnel collecting the data, Meanwhile, GBOS has paid only 30% to all individuals who have signed contracts with the Bureau. The Project Implementation Unit of the Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBOS) will pay the remaining 70% to the workers involved in the census once they are cleared by the Regional Census Officers. This clearance will occur after the data is vetted and the tablets are returned.