The National Population
Commission (NPC) has said that the 2018 National Population and Housing census
will gulp a total o N222 billion.
Chief Eze Duruiheoma,
Chairman of NPC unfolded the plan on Tuesday in Akwanga, at the review workshop
of Phases 1 and 2 of Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) as well as training of
the trainers for the 2018 census.
He said the fund would be
used to conduct a scientific census that could stand the test of time despite
the dwindling resources of the country.
The chairman explained
that the budget has been spread over four years to handle different components
of the census exercise.
Duruiheoma said the money
is for procurement of hand-held devices for the biometric based census;
engagement of 1.5 million field staff; training of field officers and other
preparatory activities.
He said the commission
was not unaware of the concerns raised in some quarters about the affordability
of the census budget.
Duruiheoma, however,
noted that the benefit of the census to the nation outweigh immediate financial
considerations.
“There is no better time
to conduct a census than in this period of economic recession.
“Coming out of a
recession is definitely a complex and difficult task that can be made easier
through demographic data as a compass for economic revival programme.
“Census will serve as a
guide in identifying human elements that can be exploited for development
process and formation of people responsive welfare programme,” Duruiheoma said.
The NPC boss maintained
that the EAD was the bedrock of the census and formed the basis for the
planning and execution of the census project.
He explained that the EAD
exercise involve the division of the country into small geographical areas to
facilitate enumeration and scientifically verify doubts and contentions.
“For the avoidance of
doubt, the EAD exercise is not the enumeration of persons living in the country
and its outcome will not in any way determine the population of any community,
local government or state,” he said.
He emphasized the need
for the training the trainers exercise saying, “The quality of the personnel
for the EAD has great impact on the outcome”.
Duruiheoma said the
commission was not leaving any stone unturned in order to ensure that the EAD
for the 2018 census was carried out meticulously, professionally and
scientifically.
According to the NPC
boss, the 2018 census would be free of manipulation through the EAD as it would
be biometric based requiring the capture of finger prints and facial impression
of persons during the exercise.
He said that the phase 3
of the EAD would be concluded by February 2017, when 74 local government areas
in the country would have been completely demarcated.
Duruiheoma said it would
involve two LGAs in each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT)
He added that other local
government areas would be covered in subsequent phases depending on availability
of funds.
He urged Nigerians not to
treat census as an extension of politics driven by narrow political
consideration at the expense of collective national interest.
Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi,
Chairman Senate Committee on National Population and Identity, in a remark,
assured the NPC of the senate’s unflinching support to ensure the successful
conduct of the 2018 census.
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Source: The News Guru
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