The National Population Commission (NPC) has told President Muhammadu Buhari that the 2016 national population census will cost about N273 billion.
The chairman of the commission, Eze Duru Iheoma, stated this yesterday when he led his commissioners to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja to brief Buhari on the activities of the commission.
The NPC boss also told the president that about N10 billion of that amount would be needed immediately.
Iheoma disclosed that a biometric-based census was being proposed to eliminate multiple and ghost respondents as well as make the outcome easy to audit.
Responding, Buhari wondered why each agency would gather its own biometric data since such data could easily be shared.
The president, therefore, charged all relevant government agencies to harmonise the collection and usage of biometric data rather than replicate efforts in that regard.
Agencies that collect biometric data include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Population Commission (NPC), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), among others.
“It will be more cost effective if you work together. It helps even the credibility of the election process as Nigerians of voting age can be identified easily,” Buhari said.
