….Seeks Devt Partners’ Support For Successful Exercise
The Federal Government has said that about N869 billion ($1.88 billion) will be required to conduct the April 2023 population census.
The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mr. Clement Agba, gave these figures at a high level partnership engagement forum in Abuja, adding that so far the government has already spent the sum of N291.5 billion of the required funds on the exercise.
He said: “So far, the government has spent N291.5 billion which is $632 million, this is about 46 percent of the requirement for the census. I know this time around we are not just doing only the population census, we are also doing housing census.
“The total requirements for this census, including the post-census activities, is N869 billion, this is about 1.88 billion US dollars.
“When you hear the numbers, they really look very huge. Censuses all over the world, the average is between four to six dollars.
“However, in the United States, they spend $16 per person. In Botswana, they spend about $10 per person. So Nigeria’s $6 per person, you’ll agree with me, is very reasonable.
“So far, the government has spent 291.5 billion naira which is $632 million. This is about 46 percent of the requirement for the census. I know this time around we’re not just doing only the population census, we’re also doing a housing census,” the minister added.
According to him, the additional requirements for the critical items to ensure the census is done will be about N327.2 billion or USD$709.9 million.
In her remarks at the forum, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, said that government had made arrangements for the deployment of digital maps and cloud computing tools and solutions for the conduct of the 2023 census.
Ahmed explained that the methodology to be adopted for the exercise by the government would ensure compliance with the global climate change campaign for reduction of carbon emission by 30% unconditionally and an additional 15% conditionally by 2030.
The minister pointed out that after close to 20 years Nigeria had the last headcount exercise, it had become imperative to conduct another exercise as outlined in the National Development Plan 2021-2025 to enhance national planning and development.
She said: “This month marks 17 years since the last national census was conducted in Nigeria in 2006, by the United Nations standard, a census ought to be conducted every 10 years.”
Ahmed stressed the need for tackle the challenge of delayed census in order to avoid obsoleteness in statistical data on the nation’s population and the negative impacts on national development plans, noting that one of the constraints has been inadequate funds for the exercise.
The minister clarified: “It is worthy to note that 60% of the funding and other requirements for the 2006 census could not have been achieve without the invaluable support of the development partners, corporate bodies and other key stakeholders.”
In his remarks, the Minister of State, National Planning, Prince Clem Agba, spoke on the plans already made by the government to ensure a hitch-free census, including the setting up of a Census Call Centre and Situation Room, conduct of a trial post-enumeration survey, and holding of stakeholders’ conferences at national and sub-national levels.
He expatiated: “We have completed the demarcation of 773 Local Government Areas (LGAs) into enumeration areas for the census, only Abadam LGA is yet to be demarcated and a hybrid enumeration strategy is being deployed for its demarcation.”
