The National Population Commission in Nigeria says “Before the conduct of the census, the outcome of the preparatory activities is already yielding dividends that are far in excess of the two hundred billion Naira spent so far.”
The Commission made the statement against the skewed media narratives behind the two hundred billion expended in preparation for the 2023 Population and Housing Census as an attempt to divert national attention.
The Commission also said that the N200 billion was spent over the period of ten years from 2014 to 2023 which has “Generated the largest volume of geospatial data from the EAD in which every building in Nigeria has been captured and geo-referenced.”
The Director Public Affairs Department of the Commission, Dr Isiyaka Yahaya made the statement at an interactive section with journalists adding that “The monetary value of this data alone runs into trillions of Naira and has also provided Enumeration Area frames that can be used for future censuses and surveys.”
He further said that “Through the recruitment exercise for the census, the Commission has generated a database of young persons who applied for the census jobs with information on their names, ages, qualifications, addresses, phone numbers and account numbers. These are valuable information that can be used for youth empowerment programmes and other social welfare programs.”
PIAK
