The House of Representatives has asked its Committee on National Population to commence investigation into how the National Population Commission (NPC) spent N200 billion on the 2023 Population and Housing Census that could not hold in Nigeria.
After considering and adopting a motion brought by Clement Akanni (PDP-Osun), during plenary today, March 7, the House mandated the committee to invite the Director General of the Commission for questioning.
Moving the motion earlier, Akanni said that the immediate-past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, planned to conduct another census in 2022 but that the programme was postponed to 2023.
He said that the former minister of state for budget and national planning, Clem Agba had admitted that a total of N869 billion would be required for the exercise.
He said that the figure included Post-Census-Activities, adding that the National Population Commission admitted that it spent about 200 billion to prepare for the 2023 population and housing census that could not hold.
According to him, the exercise was finally put on hold indefinitely by Buhari, a few days before he left office.
The lawmaker stressed the importance and imperativeness of providing the nation with accurate and reliable demographic data for policy formulation and planning for sustainable development.
The house gave the investigating committee four weeks to report its findings for further legislative action.
