The House of Representatives on Monday raised concerns over the preparedness of the National Population Commission (NPC) to conduct a nationwide population and housing census. During a review of the 2024 budget performance, lawmakers questioned inconsistencies in the documents presented by NPC Chairman, Jimi Odimayo. The budget review revealed that N841.97 billion had been allocated for the 2023 census to cover pre-enumeration, actual enumeration, and post-enumeration activities, but concerns arose regarding how these funds were being utilized.
The NPC’s 2024 appropriation of N12.77 billion included N1.13 billion for capital expenditure, N818.93 million for overhead, and N10.82 billion for personnel costs. NPC Chairman Nasiru Kwara reported that N1.1 billion of the capital expenditure had been released and fully utilized, representing 97.38% performance. However, Lagos lawmaker Okey Onuakalusi challenged this report, accusing the NPC of providing anticipatory budget figures that were yet to be fully accounted for. He emphasized that the reliance on such projections made it difficult to verify the accuracy of the Commission’s budget performance.
The lawmakers further criticized the NPC’s proposed budget for 2025, describing the capital expenditure of N18.28 billion as “abysmally low.” Out of this amount, N1.1 billion is earmarked for the national census, N4 billion for official vehicles, N12 billion for constructing permanent office buildings, and N350 million for expanding registration centers and registering births and deaths. The NPC also proposed N40 million for census research, N90 million for World Population Day activities, and N35 million for internal and international migration statistics, raising additional concerns about the prioritization of spending.
Regarding personnel costs for 2025, the NPC proposed N2.38 billion for allowances, N1.21 billion for pensions, N12.57 billion for salaries, and N606.83 million for the National Health Insurance Scheme, totaling N16.76 billion. While addressing the lawmakers, NPC Chairman Kwara revealed that the Commission was about 80% ready to conduct the 2023 census but had to postpone the exercise due to the transition of power and other unforeseen circumstances. The decision to delay the census also stemmed from directives by the former president to allow the incoming administration to oversee the process.
Kwara noted that while preparations for the census were ongoing, the delay meant that Nigeria missed conducting the exercise under the 2020 rounds of the global census framework. He explained that the NPC is now adjusting to align with the 2030 rounds of the census, which requires new guidelines and planning for a proposed census in 2026. He assured the lawmakers that efforts are being made to update and refine the Commission’s strategies to meet these international standards.
The Federal Executive Council had anticipated the importance of conducting a population and housing census, especially given the 17-year gap since the last exercise. Despite the setbacks, the NPC remains committed to ensuring the success of the upcoming census, emphasizing the need for adequate funding and support to address the logistical and operational challenges involved in executing such a large-scale national exercise.