The postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census has raised concerns about the implications of the cancellation.
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The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa Kwarra, disclosed that the Commission had spent N200 billion on preparations for the census before the exercise was cancelled.
Kwarra stated that the N800 billion budgeted included salaries from 2014, training of officials and ad hoc staff for the census. He added that the postponement could be a blessing in disguise, as it would afford the Commission the opportunity to realize pledges made by donor agencies and corporate organizations.
The 2023 Population and Housing Census was expected to be a Green Census, involving the use of digital maps, digital questionnaires, and cloud computing to ensure compliance with the global climate change campaign for the reduction of emission by 30% unconditionally and an additional 15% conditionally by the year 2030.
The UN Resident Representative emphasized the need for collaboration among governments at all levels, donors, the private sector, academia, and citizens to deliver a credible census in a country as large and diverse as Nigeria.
He commended the partnership between Nigeria and UNFPA for the bold initiative to convene the partners’ meeting on the 2023 census and the official launch of the Census Development Partners Forum.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Kayode Oseni, stressed the need to use digital technology to achieve credible, reliable, and acceptable outcomes and to provide accurate and well-disaggregated data for strategic planning and policymaking. He also called for an assessment of the N200 billion already spent to ascertain whether the expenditure was a loss or gain.
The Commission has stated that it is prepared to conduct the census anytime the incoming administration approves.
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