FG has committed N291bn to the 2023 population and housing census.
NewsOnline reports that the Federal Government (FG) on Monday said it has so far committed N291.5 billion to conduct the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
This was even as it stated that N243 billion will be needed for post-Census activities up to 2025.
The Minister of State for Budget and Planning, Clem Agba made the disclosure at the High-Level Partners Engagement to Seek Support for the conduct of the 2023 population and housing census, held in Abuja.
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He said the total requirement for the Census including post-Census activities is N869 billion, stressing that the exercise which was initially planned for 2022, was moved to after the elections this year.
While giving a breakdown, he said what is required for the Census is N626 billion, which is $1.36 billion which is about $6 per capita, slightly above the threshold of up to $5 per capita.
He said: “So far, the Government has committed N291.5 billion ($632m) to the Census, making it 46% of total funding for the Census.”
The Minister, however, stressed that an additional immediate sum of N327.2b ($709.9m) is required to complete the Census.
Similarly, he identified funding, security and culture as key challenges, noting that all the LGAs in the country would be captured except for Abadam, a remote area in Borno State due to the adverse security situation.
However, he said hybrid technology would be deployed in such LGA.
In the same vein, Agba disclosed that the Census exercise earlier scheduled for March is now recommended to hold in May.
On his part, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra, assured that funds given to the commission will be judiciously managed.
“I, therefore, thank our donor partners for joining hands with the Nigeria Government and National Population Commission in particular in realizing the dream of providing the needed demographic data that will place our country on the pedestal of sustainable development.”
