The Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GBoS) has stated that on June 12, 2024, the data synchronised from the field has shown that 84% of households across the nation have been enumerated accounting to 80% of the total population, which translates to 2,261,724 persons with the current average household size at national level at 8.3.
GBoS Statistician-General Nyakassi M.B. Sanyang informed journalists about this development at the weekly press briefing on the status of the census listing and enumeration held at the National Malaria Control Program office.
SG Sanyang informed that reports from the field had indicated that “household listing operation across the nation is almost complete”. He said that out of 366,677 structures mapped during the 2023 mapping exercise, 320,216 structures had been listed corresponding to 87.3% of the total.
He commended the fieldworkers for working “tirelessly” to ensure all the mapped buildings/structures were accounted for and listed.
In relation to enumeration at the regional level, he informed that as of 9:28Pm on Wednesday 12 June, enumeration across all regions was above 80%.
He revealed that Kuntaur, Mansakonko and Basse reported comparatively higher enumeration rates with close to 90% of households enumerated in those regions.
Sanyang continued that in Kerewan and Janjanbureh, 84% of the population have been enumerated; whereas in Banjul, Kanifing and Brikama, about 83% of the population have been enumerated.
The enumerators who have already completed their listing and enumeration have been redeployed to other enumeration areas to ensure timely completion of the work.
With regard to the contracting of fieldworkers and 30% advance payment, he said that all fieldworkers who signed the contract and whose names had been submitted to the Project Implementation Unit had been paid or sent to mobile money agents to collect their payments.
However, he said, they were still facing challenges with resistance in some “cohorts and non-Gambians communities” as reported in the previous press conference.
“We are using all possible diplomatic channels to get them comply, but if this fails, we will unavoidably use the powers vested in us,” he said, appealing: “I am again taking this opportunity to call on everyone in the country to comply as it is mandatory for all to comply and also to provide accurate information.”
Concluding, he said they were closely monitoring progress of the fieldwork with optimism that most regions will be done with by today, Friday, pointing out that those who may not finish would be given a four-day break to resume two days after Eid observation.
