We Need N869billion To Conduct Census — FG Says, Urges Nigerians To Support In Cash And Kind

 

Nigerians have been urged to donate in cash and kind ahead of the 2023 population and housing census.

 

The call was made by the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba while disclosing that the ministry needs N869 billion to conduct the census.

 

He made this disclosure at a high-level partners engagement to seek support for the 2023 census in Abuja on Monday.

 

Agba noted that a total of N869bn is needed for the census, adding that the government committed N291,5bn with the need for an additional N327.2bn.

 

He said, “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).

 

Agba further disclosed that the census exercise was to be conducted last year, but rescheduled for March 2023, but there is a recommendation that it should be held in May, 2023.

 

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.

 

He added that the basket fund will be managed by the United Nations Population Fund, which is also providing the National Population Commission 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.

 

The Resident Representative, UNFPA, Ms Ulla Mueller, stressed the need for the census to avoid the regular guess on the current population of the country.

 

She added that financial support from the UNFPA may be around $10m alongside the technical support that would be provided.

 

Speaking on behalf of Organised Private Sector and African Philanthropic Organisations, the Chairman, Heirs Holdings Group and Founder, The Tony Elumelu Foundation, also noted the need for the census for the country’s development and growth.

 

He said, “For me, this task is critical to our country’s future – if we do not know our population, we cannot properly plot our developmental path, our economic growth, our society’s goals. Credible demographic data is of profound importance for the public and private sectors alike.  We all know we live in a data-driven world.