The National Population Commission (NPC) is seeking N693.3 million in the 2024 budget to conduct the postponed national population and housing census.
This is higher than the N10.52 million requested for the same fiscal item in the approved 2023 budget.
However, it was observed that there was another allocation ofN30 billion for outstanding activities for the postponed 2023 census in the approved budget for this year.
Also, it was observed that there are other census-related allocations of about N122.2 million in the proposed 2024 budget.
Other census-related allocations for 2024
•National population data bank, Nigerian population database management system (DBMS) geo-portal hosting of population website and web portal: N20,000,000
•Preparation of EAD concept manual: N200,000
•Conduct second pretest: N500,000
•Stakeholders conference to present 2018 census instrument: N5,000,000
•Census in schools: N5,000,000
•Development of small area /EA level database for spatial analysis and dissemination: N500,000
•Field demarcation in 774 local government areas: N500,000
•Intercensal population activities (intercensal survey, population projections at national and sub-national levels, sentinel survey, Nigerian demographic, and health survey, etc) and development of a small area-level database for spatial analysis and dissemination: N5,000,000
•Census publicity and advocate (publicity, information, communication, DNA enlightenment for population programs, through print electronic media, etc: N60,000,000
•Census research, documentation, and archiving (research on historical events, special populations e.g. herdsmen, fishermen, homeless persons, migrant farmers, etc): N20,000,000
•Cartographic consumables for enumeration area demarcation exercise (EAD) (umbrella, etc): N500,000
•Commemoration of world population day/annual population census day: N5,000,000
More Insight
Last year, the NPC declared that N532.7 billion would be needed to conduct the national census in Nigeria.
However, the former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, said that a total of N869 billion was needed for the census, adding that the government committed N291.5 billion with the need for an additional N327.2 billion.
The census was slated for May 3-7, 2023 but was postponed indefinitely by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Despite the postponement, the NPC admitted having spent N200 billion for the planning mid-execution of the census.
During the Commission’s 2024 budget defense at the National Assembly (NASS) in Abuja on Monday, the House of Representatives Committee on Population urged the Federal Government to complete the census preparation process.
This was even as the committee maintained that with the preparation process currently at 80%, nothing should stop the national census from holding.
