N187bn inadequate for census—Senate

The Senate Thursday said the N187bn budgeted for the 2023 census was insufficient for the exercise.

It assured that more funding would be appropriated in the 2023 budget. 

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 Chairman, Senate Committee on National Identity Card and Population, Sahabi Yau, stated this yesterday during the committee’s visit to a census trial enumeration unit in Karu, Nasarawa State.

“It can’t be sufficient enough. By this time, not much of that money has been released. I believe that in the next budgetary process, we’ll be able to give them the amount they require, additional money, whatever expenses will be incurred. 

“The National Assembly will do whatever it can to provide the necessary funding through the budget system for us to have a free, fair and credible national census,” he said. 

Yau expressed optimism that the April 2023 date for the exercise was very feasible. 

“By then, we must have finished the general elections. So, you have March and April to conduct the exercise which is good enough. We should have that commitment for the country,” he said. 

 Silas Agara, Federal Commissioner for Nasarawa State at the National Population Commission, said the trial census was meant to troubleshoot and know what was to be expected in the main census.