The House of Representatives on Wednesday, November 1, resolved to investigate the money expended on the postponed 2023 population and housing census by the National Population Commission (NPC) to find out if there has been value for money.
The House asked its committee on population to liaise with the National Population Commission to ensure a successful population and housing census when proclaimed.
This followed a motion by Hon. Dominic Okafor and Hon. Patrick Umoh on the need to investigate the expenditure on the postponed 2023 population band Housing census by the National Population Commission.
Moving the motion, Hon. Okafor said the Census provides accurate population data crucial for development planning, policy formulation, resource allocation, and government program implementation, especially at a time when the federal government in conjunction with State governments working on giving palliatives to vulnerable citizens and also planning other social services.
According to him, the National Population Commission in Nigeria conducts periodic censuses, surveys, and other methods to enumerate the country’s population, providing data for national planning and economic development.
He disclosed that the national census was last conducted in Nigeria in 2006 and the 2023 census, which was scheduled for May 2023, was postponed by the National Population Commission.
He said further that the data collected in the 2006 Population Census is far from reality in 2023 and cannot validly form a solid base for the formation of national economic policies that will aid the federal government in administering viable national planning.
He said the National Population Commission has admitted to having spent Two Hundred Billion Naira (N200,000,000,000) as part of the Eight Hundred Billion Naira (N800,000,000,000) budgeted for the planning mid-execution of the 2023 population and housing census, which was postponed.
He said further that the financial investment in 2023 population census planning would have improved economic planning and distribution of palliatives in the country.
Okafor maintained that the National Population Commission remarks, that if the population and housing census fails to take place within 12 months, the information gathered across the country would become stale, a waste of resources, and the country would have to increase costs of gathering fresh information.
He said the National Population Commission, led by the chairman, Nasir lsa Kwarra, expressed readiness to conduct a population and housing census during a visit to President Bola Tinubu on July 6, 2023.
The House however rejected calls for the government to announce a new date for the exercise saying the security situation in the country will not allow for the successful conduct of the exercise.