Just In: FG Postpones 2023 Census To An Undecided Date.
The President of Nigeria, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, which was scheduled for May 3-7, to a date to be determined by the incoming administration.
The decision was made after a meeting between the President, some members of the Federal Executive Council, and the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on April 28, 2023.
Just In: FG Postpones 2023 Census To An Undecided Date
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, released a press statement on April 29, 2023, stating that the meeting reiterated the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, which is 17 years overdue, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standards of Nigerians.
Buhari commended the methodology being put in place by the National Population Commission to conduct accurate and reliable census, especially the massive deployment of technology that is capable of delivering a world-class census and laying a sustainable basis for future censuses. He noted that appreciable progress had been made in the preparation for and implementation of the now-postponed census, with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, the conduct of the first and second pre-tests, the recruitment and training of ad hoc workers, and the procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and ICT infrastructures.
Just In: FG Postpones 2023 Census To An Undecided Date
The President directed the Commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census to sustain the gains already recorded and provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate these achievements. The meeting was attended by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Mr Clem Agba; and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha.
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There have been calls from some quarters for the postponement of the census for reasons ranging from inadequate preparation, lack of funds, lack of training of supervisors for the exercise, credibility doubts raised by its timing, to security concerns, among other things.
