The House of Representatives has launched a probe into the N200 billion budgeted for the postponed 2023 Population and Housing Census.
On Thursday, the House’s population committee directed the director-general of the National Population Commission, NPC, to provide an account of how the N200 billion was spend.
This came after Hon Clement Akanni filed a resolution titled “Need to Investigate N200 Billion Spent on the Suspended 2023 Population and Housing Census” during the House plenary in Abuja.
The House adopted the motion, noting that a census is the systematic collection, compilation, and analysis of demographic, social, and economic data from a population within a defined region.
The MPs also stated that governments conduct censuses to collect accurate and comprehensive information such as age, gender, marital status, education, occupation, housing, and other pertinent demographic and socioeconomic features of a country.
The House stated that it was aware that the National Population Commission’s most recent census, performed in 2006, reported a population of 140 million.
It further stated that the immediate-past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari intended to conduct another census in 2022, but the program was ultimately postponed to 2023.
The House recalled that in March 2023, former Minister of State for Budget and National Planning Clem Agba stated that a total of N869 billion would be required for the exercise, including post-census activities.
It also highlighted that the National Population Commission, or NPC, had spent almost $200 billion to prepare for the 2023 population and housing census.
The House was unhappy that former President Muhammadu Buhari postponed the exercise indefinitely only days before leaving office.
The House forwarded the topic to the committee on population, which will report back for further consideration.