Manny Ita –
The Nigerian Federal Government is facing a massive fiscal setback as investigations reveal that over ₦400 billion invested in the botched 2023 National Population and Housing Census may have been effectively lost due to repeated postponements. The staggering figure encompasses the procurement of over 750,000 high-end Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) tablets, specialized biometric software, and extensive training for thousands of ad-hoc staff that took place nearly three years ago. Technical experts have warned that the sensitive hardware, currently stored in various facilities across the 36 states, is nearing the end of its functional shelf-life. “These devices have a reliable operational window of about three years, provided they are stored in climate-controlled environments,” noted Andrew Omeje, an electronics engineer familiar with the procurement. “With the current humidity and lack of constant power in many storage hubs, the motherboards and batteries are likely degrading, meaning a significant portion of this ₦400 billion investment could be worthless by the time a new date is finally set.”
Beyond the hardware concerns, the National Population Commission (NPC) is grappling with a mounting debt crisis as local contractors, who supplied vehicles and logistical support for the initial rollout, claim they are still owed a cumulative ₦100 billion. The delay has turned into a financial nightmare for these vendors, who argue that the original contract values have been decimated by the devaluation of the Naira since 2023. “We were put under extreme pressure to meet the April 2023 deadlines, which we did by taking on significant bank loans,” one contractor lamented during a recent stakeholder meeting. “Now, three years later, we are still waiting for payment while the interest on those loans continues to climb; the government must review these figures to reflect current economic realities.”
The Tinubu administration has expressed a commitment to delivering a credible, “technology-driven” headcount but has yet to issue the formal presidential proclamation required to move forward with a definitive 2026 date. In the interim, the NPC has requested additional funding in the 2026 budget to maintain existing infrastructure and refresh the training of personnel whose skills have likely dulled since the initial workshops. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, recently defended the cautious approach, stating that “credibility and global best practices would not be sacrificed for speed.” However, critics argue that the “stop-and-go” nature of the exercise is creating a sinkhole for public funds. “A nation that does not know its actual numbers cannot plan for its future,” a public policy analyst remarked, adding that the continued reliance on 20-year-old projections is contributing to the country’s deepening security and economic challenges.
