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2023 Census: NPC Expends N200bn In 9 Years Not One Year- Commission

Published

2 years ago

June 16, 2023

Joel Ajayi
The National Population Commission NPC on Friday cleared aired on the rumour going on some section of some media that the sum of N200 billion had been rapidly expended on the 2023 Census in preparations for the 2023 Census.

NPC said that the news is far from the truth adding that the N200bn was the total amount of money spent since commencement of census in 2014.

Making the position of commission known on Friday in a world press briefing the Director, Public Affairs National Population Commission Isiaka Yahaya, Ph.D said the 200b not spend in 2023 as it was claimed by some media session, it was total money spent since 2014.

According to him, the positive and incisive reporting of the census preparatory activities so far has placed the 2023 Census at the centre of national discourse thereby mobilizing Nigerians for its successful conduct.

“In what ordinarily could be regarded as an open display of transparency aimed at assuring Nigerians and the international community that the journey towards the 2023 Population and Housing Census remains on course, the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra at a breakfast meeting with Media Executives on 18th May 2023 in Abuja disclosed that the sum of N200 billion had been spent so far on preparations for the 2023 Census.

“It was a very engaging session in which the Chairman and other principal officers of the Commission took turns to explain in detail innovations and the giant strides that have been recorded in preparation for the first ever digital census in Nigeria. In response to the question on what has been spent so far on preparations for the census, the Chairman forthrightly disclosed that about N200 billion had been spent on preparatory activities for the census.

“Regrettably however, in a sensational move that betrays the essence of professional journalism, some sections of the media came up with the screaming headline that the sum of N200 billion had been rapidly expended on the 2023 Census, ignoring totally the substance of the event, which was to give a detailed account of what has been done to make the 2023 Census a success. Emphasis was needlessly placed on expenditure, rather than the easily verifiable achievements and innovations on the 2023 Census.

“Comments by other public analysts who did not attend the event were even more damaging, creating the impression that the Commission had ‘squandered’ N200 billion on a ‘botched census’.

“It has therefore become necessary to set the records straight and put into proper context the expenditure of 200 Billion Naira by the National Population Commission in preparation for the 2023 Census. Consistent with global practice and inspired by an unswerving commitment to positively rewrite the history of census in Nigeria, the Commission opted to conduct a digital census deploying technology on a massive scale.

“In a country struggling with acute infrastructural deficit, this massive undertaking can not come cheap but at a huge cost. Yes, it is true that N200 billion has been spent on preparations for the 2023 Census so far.

“However, this fund was not expended in the last few weeks, months or years but rather since 2014 when preparations for the 2023 Census actually began. Indeed, part of the N200 billion was expended before the coming of the present Commission, which was inaugurated twice between 2018 and 2020 and even before the inception of the Buhari Administration.”

While giving details of how money was spent in the last 8 years, Director of PAD said: “the first preparatory activity for the 2023 Population and Housing Census was the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) which the Commission implemented in phases on an incremental basis spanning over a period of 8 years. The EAD involved the division of the 774 Local Government Areas of the country into Enumeration Areas.

“The Enumeration Area Demarcation was done digitally from 2014 to 2022. Given the size of Nigeria, carrying out such expansive field operations must of necessity come with a huge cost. Major cost elements in the EAD project include the acquisition of high-resolution satellite imageries of entire land space of Nigeria and equipment, deployment of logistics across the country and training and deployment of tens of thousands of ad-hoc workers for several months to carry out the field operations. All of these were paid for, and heavily too.

“Another major cost element of the 2023 Census is the series of test runs carried out by the Commission to determine the appropriateness or otherwise of the methodology, processes and systems being put in place for the exercise.

“The Commission carried out an elaborate consultative process in designing a census questionnaire that responded to the country’s data needs for sustainable development. Series of workshops involving the academia, professional bodies, Civil Society Organizations and stakeholders were organized at the national and state levels between 2015 and 2017.

“The first Pretest was conducted between 31st May, 2021 and 13th June, 2021 in the thirty-six states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory while the second Pretest with larger coverage and broader objectives was conducted from November 24th to December 10th 2021 also in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). These test runs cost huge amount of money in terms of training, deployment of personnel, and procurement of equipment and software.

“The Commission conducted a Trial Census in July 2022. The Trial Census was a dress rehearsal of the main census and was conducted to assess the overall preparedness for the conduct of the 2023 Census and it took place in all the 36 states of the federation and the FCT with over 13,000 personnel trained, deployed and paid allowances for the training and fieldwork for about one month. “
He added that: “the backbone of any digital operation including the census is the acquisition of hardware equipment and development of appropriate software. Putting in place a corresponding technological structure and facilities for the 2023 Census cost a fortune. In addition to the procurement of computers, laptops, desktops, printers and solar power system for the census, the Commission developed numerous softwares not only for census operations but also to manage its processes.

“The software procured for the census include Censuspad and CSentry for data collection, Azure Cloud Infrastructure for managing data storage, security and processing and Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) geospatial data for integration, analysis and utilization.
“In recognition of its work in the 2023 Census EAD, the Commission received the Special Achievement in GIS (SAG) award at the 2022 Users Conference of ESRI held at its headquarters, California, United States. ESRI is the World Leading Developer of GIS Software. Other software acquired include Enumeration Dashboard for monitoring of data quality and coverage Geo spatial dashboard, recruitment portal, logistics management information system and Mobile Device Monitoring System amongst others.

He assured Nigerians and indeed development partners of its irrevocable commitment and competence to deliver a credible, reliable and acceptable census data.

“The items for which the sum of N200 billion was expended are available, verifiable and remain useful for the next census anytime it is to be conducted.The scope and quality of arrangements put in place will not only be useful for the next census but also makes future censuses less expensive.”

“NPC wish to state unequivocally that the Commission has nothing to hide as regards the preparatory activities for the Census.

“The implementation of the Census project is being carried out in a professional and transparent manner; therefore, the Commission is open to inquiry and is ready to offer clarification if the need arises.”

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Dikko And The New Vision Accountability and Development in Sports

Published

1 week ago

December 16, 2024

The Gleamer

Felly Mammah N.

Since the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Alhaji Shehu Dikko assumed office on the 30th of October, 2024, he has systematically and deliberately been putting in place structures that would result to proper development of sports in Nigeria. Shortly after he was first appointed by President Bola Tinubu as a leading strength of sports, the Director General (DG), Hon. Bukola Olapade was appointed to compliment his efforts.

Many sports analysts believe that the duo of Dikko and Olapade who have been very visible in sports administration will be one of the best combination to take the sports sector to the next level. The DG no doubt, is the head of administration in the Commission, but it should be noted that the financial enablement to manage the affairs of staff and the political might that shops for the finance needed in the running of the sector rest on the Chairman who has the task of liaising with the President directly.

It is also, worthy to note that there is a huge difference between the administration of in the Civil Service as it is controlled by a Permanent Secretary and Directors while the administration of a Commission involves Board Members and experts whose voices and actions are also, game-changing; more so as Commissioners are likely going to take charge of the different zones to proffer solutions for a way forward. The defunct Ministry of Youths and Sports Development which later in 2023 metamorphosed into the Ministry of Sports Development on the assumption of President Bola Tinubu, produced a minister who was not versed in sports administration and as a result, faced mass criticism especially from men of the media.

These men of the pen profession are the torchlight of global sporting activity; they equally keep the history of both sports participation globally as well as the records of athletes’ performances. Their torchlight on past Minister’s and particularly the recent past, have revealed that most of the people who presided over sports administration do not really have any knowledge of the sector before their appointment.

The exit of the immediate past Minister, Sen. John Owan Enoh, refreshingly paved the way for change and this has brought in sports personnels that are expected to place sporting activities in the digital world. Suffice it to also, say that the new management of Sports Commission in parts of her changes is expected to sanitize athletes’ attitude and character for better reflection of children who have seen and communicated with their peers in the Western world.

However, the clarion call for President Tinubu to remove politics in sports may have changed the leadership of sports going by what many sports fans saw in the last outing of both Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris 2024, where a country like Nigeria did not measure up to her potentials.

Despite the poor performance of atheletes during the World Olympics Games, the past immediate past Minister deserves to be commended that during his tenure, the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Games was reawakened as the participation of our Super Eagles brought back hope and jubilation to sports fans including the President and higher authorities. Yes whopping sum of N12 Billion was released two weeks to the Olympics Games and at a time the country was not financially stable. Despite the presidential financial support, the medals presented to the country were crisis and ignorant of both the atheletes, Nigeria Olympic Committee and the Atheletic Federaton to do the needful.

Therefore, it is heart-warming that the President harkened to the appeal of his fellow sports lovers to handpick a known figure in the sports arena to share his wealth of experience that gave him both a name in Sports and positions as the former Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), Chairman League Management Company (LMC), FIFA match Commissioner of significance, 2nd Vice President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and presently, CAF Committee Member, in addition to his new portfolio as Chairman NSC.

My reference point here is that Alh. Dikko has been given the authority to effect positive change in sports sector, co-ordinate over 40 Sports Federations in the sector, welcome ideas of both sports stakeholders, individuals and veterans of sports that will enable him x-ray the reasons for poor performances in the sector and to chat a way forward for success story. There can never be a new testament without an old testament, thus the reason Alh. Dikko’s doors have remained opened to receive courtesy calls that included the visits by past administrators and foreigners who want to facilitate with whom the cap fits.

Still, in the mood of celebration to formally welcome Alh. Dikko to office was the peculiar power of sports which gathered momentum and the crowd for happy moments as seen in the recent novelty match organized by his friends, associates and sports veterans at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja recently. That gathering clearly announced not just a man who has made a name for himself at a height in global political decision making in sports circle, but a man who has also, given voice to our country’s leagues and international activities.

Sports is a significant sector that comprises emotion, tension, happiness, sadness even death and hope irrespective of the fact that it has the potential to feed many mouths. The sector cannot be compared to other Ministries with delayed bureaucracies and frustration of abilities. While in the civil service the head will rather submerge a growing talent for fear of power thrown, a coach who discovers a talent takes the credit for showcasing a star athelete discovered. Sports has been proven to generate revenue as well as attract public partnership which are all aimed at enhancing podium performance by the athletes.

Shehu Dikko’s business vision and wide participation in football contributed in making him the right candidate to place the sector in its expected level, increase the GDP of the country’s economy and equally be accountable with administrative roadmap for success.

The novelty match organised for him by his sports fans and League managers had the likes of Samson Siasia, Victor Ikpeba, Mutiu Adepoju, Dominic Iorfa, Ahmed Musa in attendance to share their joy with him as they displayed their talent with their foot.
Others that graced the occasion were Super Sports General Manager, Felix Nwogu, former and present Chairmen of House Committee on Sports, NFF President, NOC members and persons from across the globe. That singular act indicated a clear fact that Dikko can actually gather momentum with persons that can support his ideology to deliver as charged by the presidency.

However, the Chairman’s meekness to open his doors to all does not mean weakness neither does it mean that he has not commenced work officially. His work is more of brain tasking because ideas actually rule the world. I will boldly say that he has resumed work with like minds that will not only be on the same page with him but will as well be on success Guinness Book with him.

Felly Mammah N.
Press Officer (NSC).

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