The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) expects to employ over 13,000 people around the country during the period of the 2023 Population and Housing Census slated for August this year.

This was revealed by Abel Sindano, the Executive for Economic Statistics at the NSA.

Sindano said that apart from carrying out the counting process, the aim of the exercise is to help put a dent in the high number of unemployed youth by giving them priority during the recruitment process, which is expected to begin this month.

He said the delay was due to various reasons and that plans to move forward with the process this year are actively underway.

Also speaking at the occasion, the agency's Executive for Namibia Spatial Data Infrastructure and Geographical Information System, Alex Mudabeti, urged regional leaders to help educate their people and spread awareness on the importance of being part of the data collection process.

"A low participation in the census is very dangerous for planning; it's seriously dangerous, and for the honorable councillors they must really drive this particular part, because if your constituency is underreported, for example, the population of adolescents, which the ministry of health wants to plan for, zero to five-year-olds, and in your constituency are misrepresented, you may not receive any support for early child development and facilities, because people will be quoting a census report to say in your region you only have 200 kids between zero and five."

He urged those who house foreigners and undocumented people to come forward and participate in the process to avoid inaccurate data collection.

Of the many expected jobs, the Zambezi Region is expected to employ 676 people during the said period.