The House of Representatives has directed its population committee to summon the Director-General of the National Population Commission (NPC) to account for the utilization of the N200 billion allocated for the suspended 2023 Population and Housing Census.
The committee has been given four weeks to report back with its findings for further legislative action.
This decision stemmed from a motion titled “Need to Investigate N200 Billion Spent on the Suspended 2023 Population and Housing Census” moved by Hon. Clement Akanni.
The House emphasized the importance of the census, which involves the systematic collection, compilation, and analysis of demographic, social, and economic data of a population within a specific region.
Governments conduct censuses to gather accurate and comprehensive information such as age, sex, marital status, education, occupation, housing, and other relevant demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of a country, which is crucial for policy-making, resource allocation, urban planning, public health, education, and more.
The House recalled that the last census conducted in 2006 by the NPC gave a population figure of 140 million and noted that the immediate-past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari had planned to conduct another census in 2022, later postponed to 2023.
In March 2023, the former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, disclosed that a total of N869 billion would be required for the exercise, including post-census activities.
The NPC stated that it had spent approximately N200 billion to prepare for the 2023 population and housing census.
However, the census was indefinitely suspended by former President Muhammadu Buhari shortly before leaving office, raising concerns about the need for accurate demographic data for policy formulation and sustainable development planning.
