Indications have emerged that the 2023 Census earlier slated to commence early next month (May) before the expiration of the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari will now be conducted by the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu slated to be inaugurated on May, 29.
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed made this known in a statement Saturday, April 29 in Abuja through a statement that informed that, “President Buhari has approved postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, earlier scheduled for 3 to 7 May 2023, to a date to be determined by the incoming Administration.”
The President, according to the statement, gave the approval after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday (28 April 2023).
The statement reads further thus: “In arriving at the decision to postpone the Census, the meeting reiterated the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, 17 years after the last Census, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people.
“The President noted that with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, conduct of first and second pre-tests, the recruitment and training of ad-hoc workers, procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and ICT infrastructures, appreciable progress has been made in the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
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“He also commended the methodology being put in place by the Commission to conduct accurate and reliable Census, especially the massive deployment of technology that is capable of delivering world class Census and laying a sustainable basis for future censuses.
“The President further directed the Commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census in order to sustain the gains already recorded and provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate these achievements.”
Concluding, the release informed that, “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.”