As the national mapping exercise kicked off yesterday, all local authorities have been urged to collaborate and assist the technical teams that have been dispatched to conduct the exercise.

The call was made by the acting Director General of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, (NISR) Diane Karusisi, during an interview.

Karusisi said that for the mapping exercise to be successful, local leaders need to work very closely with the technical teams.

The mapping is the first phase of the general population census that is slated for next year. 

According to Karusisi, 50 cartographers were yesterday deployed to start the mapping beginning from districts in the northern and southern province, from there, they will reach out to other parts of the country.

The mapping involves updating geographical boundaries of all administrative units and geo-locating socio-economic infrastructure in the country.

Karusisi further pointed out that the exercise is a key and mandatory preparation for the census.

The mapping exercise is expected to take seven months.

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