In a recent development, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, which was earlier scheduled to take place from Wednesday, May 3, to Sunday, May 7, 2023. The new date for the census will be determined by the incoming administration.
This decision was taken after the President met with 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 Friday, April 28, 2023.
The postponement was announced in a statement signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and released on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The statement noted that the decision was made after considering the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, which has not been carried out for 17 years. The census is expected to provide up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people.
The statement further explained that the President commended the methodology being put in place by the National Population Commission to conduct an accurate and reliable census.
According to the statement, appreciable progress has been made in the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, the conduct of first and second pretests, the recruitment and training of adhoc workers, and the procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and ICT infrastructures.
It is important to note that the postponement of the census does not diminish the significance of collecting up-to-date data about the Nigerian population. The decision to postpone the census was based on the need to ensure that the census is conducted in a manner that is accurate and reliable, and that it provides the necessary data to support the country’s development goals.
The National Population Commission will continue to work towards this goal, and we look forward to the successful conduct of the census at a future date.
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings