Census 2016: Funding from finance ministry stalls new equipment procurement

Failure to settle backlog payment for imagery by the federal ministry of finance may forestall the procurement of the required digital imagery for the 2016 census by the National Population Commission (NPC)

The Surveyor General of the Federation, Professor Peter Nwilo, made this disclosure while responding to the demand of the NPC on various category of high resolution imagery required by the commission for the identification and demarcation of rural areas, locality, and the capture of local government and state capital

Professor Nwilo who led his management team on a working visit to the NPC headquarters to discuss areas of collaboration with regards to geo-special information said: “We may not immediately be able to provide you with the 0.5 resolution imagery because we are owing the company for the data they have already provided, although the finance ministry has given us their word that they will pay”

The office of the surveyor general has had to rely on the procurement of this imageries from foreign companies as the imagery provided by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) are ‘panchromatic’ (black and white) and cannot serve many needs of NPC for census exercises

The chairman of the NPC Eze Duruiheoma had earlier requested for high resolution, digital elevation model imagery in the range of 0.5, 2.5,.5 and .6 covering the entire country as well as training for staff of cartography department of the NPC as preparatory procedures for census exercises

Duruiheoma said: “2016 censuses cannot be said to have taken off without the provision of this vital materials. We are not unmindful of the fact that Nigerians have criticised censuses in the past and given the opportunity we want to do better.”