General News of Saturday, 26 December 2009

Source: GBC

Ghana 2010 census to cost over $50m

The Ghana 2010 Population Census is expected to cost US$50 million.

Professor Nicholas N.N. Nsowah-Nuamah of the Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER), has urged Ghanaians to show keen interest in the impending national population census to ensure its success.

Its importance as a powerful tool for national development, he said, could not be over emphasised.

Prof Nsowah-Nuamah was presenting a paper on “Ghana’s 2010 Population Census: Main Sources of Demographic Data,” at the fourth academic week celebration of the Spiritan University College at Ejisu.

The census takes off in March, 2010, and it is projected to cost over US$50,000,000.00.

Half of this money would come from the government and the remaining from the country’s development partners.

In all 27,239 enumeration centres would be created and more than 45,000 enumerators engaged for the job.

Prof Nsowah-Nuamah, a former Deputy Government Statistician, identified disability, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and agriculture as new areas that would be covered.