Wetin dey happen my people? We don see say Federal Government don drop N12.78 billion for National Population Commission (NPC) for 2026 budget, na real big money oh!
The budget wey dem show on Thursday na as President Bola Tinubu present am, estimated to be N58.18 trillion in total. But make we sharp sharp enter wetin concern us; dem don allocate N770 million for the ongoing population and housing census project. E go shock you say over N8.4 billion dey set aside for wetin? We dey talk about permanent office buildings for the NPC.
As dem dey prepare to offload official motors for federal commissioners, dem don gree spend N2.8 billion. Na wa! Dem even get small change for the development of National Population Data Bank and various platforms wey go help manage our population figures; we get N54.6 million for that wahala.
The budgeting no stop for there o! Each step wey dem dey plan get im own budget, from demarcating enumeration areas for just N1.4 million, to holding conferences on the 2018 census instruments wey go cost N7 million. Na so dem dey try to manage their waka, but like say dem no sabi how Nigeria dey operate!
Even planning to educate officers on data collection no dey come cheap; dat one go cost N14 million. Na true talk say dem wan carry census go school for N7 million, but who go carry all these wahala come inside classroom?
Proudly, dem still budget N173.11 million for census publicity and advocacy. But we fit ask, how many people go fit hear dat one? Monitoring and evaluation of projects don gree take another N28 million…hope say dem no go use am chop mat!
Make we no forget say Nigeria last bubbles census go back to November 2006, wey population stand at 140 million people. Now, we still dey wait for dem to count us again after plenty wahala and giddiness under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The last census attempt wey dem try do for 2023 dem shelved am due to money wahala and change of government fit. As Tinubu dey try re-energize this census program, e still dey face plenty wahala!
Tinubu no too happy about the steady delay; he even talk say “This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me.” Na wetin we dey talk say, Nigeria population no fit remain for one place when e dey grow every day.
Now, under new NPC Chairman Aminu Yusuf, him don promise say dem go run a credible and technology-driven population count. But how far we fit trust this new plan? We dey there dey watch! Let’s hope say dem no go fit us again for Naira matter.
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