The National Population Commission has said the next census will cost well over N220bn.

The Director-General of the NPoPC, Dr. Ghaji Ismail, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at the commencement of fieldwork for the continuation of the Enumeration Area Demarcation.

He said the 2015 budget for the proposed 2016 census which eventually did not take place was put at N220bn.

Ismail said with currency devaluation and inflation rates, the commission would require much more than N220bn to conduct a census.

The DG said, “How much will it cost? At this point in time it is going to be very difficult because there have been changes. It is not something you can say off hand but if we deduce from our previous submission in 2015 hoping that it would take place in 2016, a lot has changed in terms of currency devaluation but if we are to use the 2015 submission, we are looking at a submission of over N220bn.”

Ismail said although the 2019 budget proposal had no provision for a census, a separate budget could be submitted for the exercise.

The DG said it was time to begin to speak about it since elections were already coming to an end.

He, therefore, pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to take the matter into consideration. 

PN