Nigerians are understandably eagerly awaiting the National Population and Housing Census 2022 scheduled for later in the year.
The last time such an exercise was carried out was in 2006 and it put the population of the country at 140.43 million persons comprising 71.3 million males and 69.0 million females.
For over sixteen years, the country has been relying on estimates for most of its projections. There is no denying the fact that an accurate, reliable figure is important to determine the distribution of social amenities, et Al.
However, what UNCENSORED cannot comprehend is that a whopping N177.33 billion was approved by the National Assembly just to know how many we are in the country. A cursory look at the details of what the money will be expended on reveals the following:
(1) administration of oath of secrecy on the workers of the National Population Commission (NPC) at the cost of N182m (2) field work for the main census to cost N167,601,840,000 (3) N113,616,000,000 for ‘acquisition of GPS enabled direct data capture devices (PDAs), chargers, power banks and tablet pouches for data collectors for the main census (4) N10,175,000,000 for field materials including census bags, reflective jackets, first aid boxes, identity cards and face caps for data collectors for the main census (5) procurement of logistics, including Toyota Hilux (double cabin), motorcycles, outboard engine boats, among others, for the main census and post-census enumeration to cost N13,406,979,631.29 (6) census management including insurance of field functionaries, security and emergencies for all LGAs to cost N3,725,850,000 (7) ICT networking, data centre, database management and ICT capacity building is to cost N12,230,857,632 (8) ‘compilation of historical events for the remaining 515 LGAs’ has a budget of N100,980,000, (9) ‘stakeholders’ conference to present the 2022 census instruments’ getting N590m. (10) ‘special population’ will be counted at the cost of N129,035,300. (11) local consultants are to be paid N1,040,940,887, among other provisions.
First, it must be said that NPC has offices across the country and it is expected that these offices are fitted with rudimentary office equipment that could be deployed for an exercise for which it was established. But it is preposterous from the outline of its budget, the Commission is buying virtually everything.
Second, Nigerians have been captured in many biometric data. There is BVN for all bank customers, there is drivers’ license for vehicle owners, there is the international passport, there is also National Identification Number (NIN), etc which have data information of Nigerians. Doesn’t it sound counterintuitive that the Nasir Kwarra-led NPC cannot glean information from these data and augment whatever noticeable shortfall? Must they have to expend that humongous amount on an exercise that will later be disputed?
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