Nigeria’s National Population and Housing Census scheduled to commence on May 3 through 7 has been shelved.
The postponement of the national headcount and housing census was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The new date for the conduct of the census will be decided on by the incoming Asiwaju Bola Tinubu-led administration, according to the report.
This development was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed.
The minister said in the statement that Buhari’s approval of the postponement of the census followed a meeting held on Friday with the Federal Executive Council (FEC) with the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC) and his team at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The statement stressed the need for an up to date census data to drive developmental goals as well as the standard of living of Nigerians, harping on the fact that the last headcount was done 17 years ago.
“The president noted that with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, 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 statement read
Commending the methodology, particularly the technology employed by NPC to conduct a reliable census, Buhari directed the commission to continue with the 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.”
It would be recalled that a Pan Socio-political Group, Afenifere in recent media reports, described the N100 billion allegedly committed to the conduct of the 2023 population and housing census as “wasteful and an economic offence.”