NPC to spend N100b on 2016 census

The National Population Commission on Wednesday announced that it would spend N100 billion on the conduct of national census in 2016.
The Chairman of the commission, Eze Duruiheoma, announced this at a news conference in Abuja.
Duruiheoma said that the security situation in the country would not deter the commission from conducting the census.
He said the commission was thinking positively that the security situation in the country would improve before 2016.
Duruiheoma said the new conference was part of efforts to mobilise and sensitise Nigerians on the importance of the 2016 census.
He said: “Proper understanding of what the nation stands to gain and what it is expected to lose if not conducted, will help in forging consensus and support base for the census.”
Duruiheoma said the demographic profile of any country was not static as it was expected to change considerably over a period of 10 years.
He said accurate and reliable census would drive the transformation process at all stages.
He added: “For this data to serve its purpose, it must be current and reflect the present realities of the Nigerian people.
“Conducting the 2016 census therefore becomes the only option for the country to obtain comprehensive and up to date information on the Nigerian people.”
Duruiheoma said with President Goodluck Jonathan’s directive to achieve 100 per cent in the vital registration by 2015, the commission had embarked on the registration of births and deaths in the country.
He said more registration centres had been planned while more registrars would be recruited to ensure that all births and deaths were registered.
He said: “The vision of the commission is a vital registration system that will automatically update the population data.
“This would be done within the inter-census period through regular and continuous capture of the changes in the population profile through births and deaths.”
Duruiheoma said the structures established for the census, particularly the elaborate preparatory activities, would be useful for the vital registration far beyond the census.