Breaking: Buhari postpones 2023 census, next govt to set new date – The 2023 Population and Housing Census, which was initially planned to take place from May 3 to 7, 2023, has been postponed until a date to be selected by the new administration, with President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval.
According to a statement released on Saturday and signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, the President gave his consent during a meeting on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja with the Chairman of the National Population Commission and his staff as well as some members of the Federal Executive Council.
The meeting reiterated the urgent need to conduct a Population and Housing Census, 17 years after the last Census, in order to gather current data that will support the nation’s development goals and raise the standard of living for Nigerians, according to the statement, which led to the decision to postpone the Census.
The President noted that there has been noticeable progress in the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census with the completion of the country’s Enumeration Area Demarcation, the running of the first and second pretests, the hiring and training of adhoc workers, the purchase of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and ICT infrastructures.
He praised the Commission’s methods for conducting an accurate and trustworthy census, particularly the widespread use of technology that can provide a world-class census and build the groundwork for future censuses.
In order to maintain the improvements already seen and provide a foundation for the new administration to consolidate these accomplishments, the President further authorized the Commission to continue planning for the conduct of the Population and Housing Census in 2023.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, as well as the Ministers of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and State, Mr. Clem Agba, as well as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, all attended the meeting.