2016 national census to cost 273billion Naira - Politics -

ABUJA- Nigeria would require a total of N273 billion to successfully conduct next year’s national census, National Population Commission, NPC said on Monday. This came as President Mohammadu Buhari has charged the Commission, National Identity Management Commission, Federal Road Safety Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, among others to ensure the harmony of the biometric data of all Nigerians. According to the president, the harmonized system would cut cost and also give credibility to the country’s electoral process. Buhari who gave the charge after receiving a briefing on the activities of the National Population Commission from the Chairman, Eze Duru Iheoma (SAN), who led other National Commissioners to the Presidential Villa, President Buhari wondered why each agency would gather its own biometric data, when such data could easily be shared. “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,” he said. President Buhari added that all the agencies should work collaboratively, instead of going in different directions, stressing that adequate data was necessary for planning and development in any country. Earlier, Eze Duru Iheoma told the President that about N273 billion would be required for the commission to conduct a national census next year, 10 years after the last exercise, as stipulated by the United Nations, saying that about N10 billion of the amount would be needed immediately. He told the President that a biometric-based census was being proposed, stressing that it would eliminate multiple respondents, ghost respondents and make the outcome easy to audit.