Breaking….. Buhari postpones 2023 population census exercise

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of the 2023 Census stressing that a new date will be communicated to Nigerians by the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led incoming government.

ROYAL NEWS reports that the federal government had earlier scheduled to commence on May 3rd, 2023.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed made this known in a statement issued on Saturday noting that the president gave his approval during a 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.

According to him, “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, the conduct of first and second pretests, 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.”

The minister further said: “President Buhari 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.”