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There are indications that unless additional funds can be secured in record time,the 2023 National population and housing census may suffer another postponement.
It will be recalled that earlier in March, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, disclosed that the Federal Government planned to establish a basket fund to collect donations for the 2023 population and housing census.
Punch reports that the Minister made this disclosure at a high-level partners’ engagement to seek support for the census in Abuja.
Agba had noted that a total of N869bn was needed for the census, adding that the government committed N291.5bn to it with the need for an additional N327.2bn.
The minister had stated, “The total requirement for the census (including post-census activities) is N869bn ($1.88bn): census requirement – N626bn ($1.36bn), which is about $6 per capita (just slightly above the threshold of up to $5 per capita); post-census (up to 2025) is N243bn ($527m).
“So far, the government has committed N291.5bn ($632m) to the census, making it 46 per cent of the total funding for the census. An additional (immediate) sum of N327.2bn ($709.9m) is required to complete the census.”
Agba added that the census was to be conducted last year, but was rescheduled for March 2023, but there was a recommendation that it should be held in May.
He said, “The last census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006. In 2014, the previous government proposed another census for 2016 in line with the UN recommendation for decennial census.
“That administration, however, exited in 2015 without accomplishing the wish. From 2015 to 2016, the country slipped into recession due to the crash in oil price and production.
“In 2018/2019, the government recommitted to the conduct of the census. In 2020, COVID-19 disrupted plans for the exercise. The census was rescheduled for March 2023, but now recommended to hold in May 2023. In 2021/2022, funds were appropriated for the census. The census was initially planned for 2022, but was moved to 2023 after the elections.”
The census was eventually shifted to May 3 to May 5, 2023, meaning that it has been shifted twice under the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.)
Agba added that the basket fund would be managed by the United Nations Population Fund, which was also providing the NPC with technical and financial support.
The minister urged members of the private sector to either donate cash or offer to buy some of the materials needed for the census.
It was gathered on Friday that no new date had been fixed for the training of ad hoc workers at the local government level as the earlier scheduled programme was postponed last week.
Source: Punch
