The population census scheduled for next year may suffer setbacks as there is no provision for it in the budget proposal submitted by the National Population Commission.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on the National Population Commission, Senator Abdul Ningi, gave the startling revelation on Tuesday when he appeared before the National Assembly Joint Committee on Appropriations.
He said if the money for the census was not provided for in the budget, the country would lose about N200 billion, which has been spent by the NPC.
Senator Ningi, however, told the Appropriation Committee led by Senator Solomon Adeola that the NPC would appear tomorrow with their documentation to state how much they would need for the conduct of the 2024 population census.
He said, “They will appear tomorrow with proper documentation of how much they need. If we don’t get the money, the nation will lose, and the people will lose.
“The money spent for the preparation for the census will go down the drain and it is a homogenous amount of money, over N200 billion already spent; that is my take. ”
Senator Solomon Adeola, however, allayed the fears about the conduct of the census, as he assured that the National Assembly would look for funds to cater for the 2024 population census in the budget.
He said, “The head of the NPC should appear in company with the committee chairman to tell them what was needed for the conduct of the census, which was scheduled to take place in the first quarter of next year.
” Let me assure you that the country will not lose, and we are going to work very closely with them to ensure that the 25 per cent component is included. We must find a way to accommodate it in this 2024 budget.
“We would like the agency to present, along with the Chairman of the Committee, a synopsis of the idea of what is really going on about the issue of the census, and whatever the issues are, I can assure you that we will resolve them and the population census will come up by the first quarter of 2024.”
At yesterday’s session of the Joint National Assembly Committee, with approval, the lawmakers resolved to drop their opposition to the inclusion of the controversial N1bn in the 2024 budget of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment.
The panel gave its support after receiving the report of the Joint National Assembly Committee on Industry, Trade, and Investment on the Ministry’s 2025 budget.
Senator Solomon Adeola, however, vowed that the federal lawmakers would carry out aggressive oversight to ensure that the fund was appropriately utilised.
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