Tuesday 11 August 2015

FG To Spend N273bn On 2016 Census-By George Agba


Nigeria Population
The chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) Mr. Eze Iheoma (SAN) yesterday told President Muhammadu Buhari that the proposed 2016 Census will gulp about N273billion.
Iheoma who led other commissioners of the NPC to Aso Rock to brief the president on the commission’s state of affairs told Buhari that, out of the said amount, N10billion would be needed immediately.
Special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina noted in a statement that at the briefing, President Buhari directed government agencies to harmonise the collection and usage of biometric data in the country, instead of replicating their efforts in this regard.
Adesina said Iheoma briefed the president on what will be required for the commission to conduct a national census next year, 10 years after the last exercise, as stipulated by the United Nations.
He said, “A national population census, the chairman said, would cost about N273 billion, while about N10 billion of the amount would be needed immediately.
“He told the president that a biometric-based census was being proposed because it will eliminate multiple respondents, and ghost respondents, while making the outcome easy to audit”.
On the harmonisation of the collection and usage of biometric data in the country, Adesina said Buhari noted that it would be cost effective and also help in giving credibility to the electoral process.
“It will be more cost effective if you work together. It helps even the credibility of the election process, as Nigerians of voting age can be identified easily”, the presidential spokesman quoted the president as saying.
He further said the president stated “that all the agencies should work collaboratively, instead of going in different directions, stressing that adequate data was necessary for planning and development in any country”.

Culled from Leadership

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