The National Population Commission, NPC, has stated that it will require N532.7 billion to conduct the national census in April 2023.
Nasir Kwarra, the Commission’s Chairman, made the disclosure to members of the Senate Committee on National Population and Identity Management on Wednesday during the committee’s 2023 budget defence session.
According to the NPC boss, the N532.7bn is merely a proposal for the conduct of the 2023 census, which he stated would be done digitally. You can read more of such stories at Credible News.
“In addition to the N10 billion budgetary proposal for the fiscal year 2023 earmarked for NPC, a total of N532. 795 billion is estimated for the conduct of the 2023 Census.”
“The NPC is prepared to rewrite Nigerian census history by making the 2023 census non-binding.”
He added that the proposed budget for the 2023 census includes a post-enumeration survey and that the exercise will be a significant departure from previous efforts in terms of addressing the issue of climate change.
Kwarra stated in the agency’s 2023 budget proposal that N1.05 billion was set aside for capital expenditure, N655 million for overhead, and N8.6 billion for personnel.
The NPC boss stated that a total of N206.85 billion was appropriated for the commission for the fiscal year 2022, with N107.7 billion earmarked for capital expenditure, N615 million for overhead, and N7.8 billion for personnel costs.
Senator Sahabi Ya’u (APC Zamfara North), Chairman of the Committee, however, directed the NPC boss to submit details of projects completed with the 2022 appropriation and those proposed for the 2023 fiscal year.
At the start of the session, the NPC boss requested that the Chairman and committee members be designated as 2023 Census Ambassadors, but he was denied.
According to the Punch, the commission’s N187 billion allocation in the 2022 budget for the 2023 Population and Housing Census, scheduled for April 2023, is insufficient for the exercise.
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