N222 Billion Needed for 2018 Elections - NPC

Not less than N222 billion will be needed to conduct accurate, reliable and accepted
national population and housing census proposed for 2018, says the Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Chief Eze Duruiheoma.
Chief Duruiheoma, who disclosed this during a session with the members of the Senate Committee on National Identity Cards and National Population Commission, led by its Chairman, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi (Kaduna North) on an oversight visit, said technologies to be deployed into the conduct of the next census exercise are more sophisticated than that of 2006.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee has urged the National Population Commission to commercialised issuance of birth and birth certificates as well as vita data to private and public sectors with a view to generating revenues.
Chief Duruiheoma explained that the N222 billion budget proposal by the Commission was to cover pre-census, the census, and the post census expenditures.

He said that “for the census which we proposed, I want to give you some background information, in preparing for this census, since 2015, we have regularly hinted that given the resources we will be prepared to do a census in 2016.
He also informed the Committee of the intention of the commission to convene a national summit on the next census in the first quarter of 2017, explained, “The objective of the summit is to deepen national understanding and imperatives for the conduct of the next census and solicit the cooperation and support of stakeholders it its successful conduct.”

Meanwhile it is the same chairman that estimated 100 billion naira for the 2016 census, now over 200 billion, looks like they don't want to do this census. This is the first time the Nigerian census will not be holding as at when due.Nigeria we hail thee.