The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has given his approval for the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census. The census, which was originally scheduled for May 3-7, 2023, will be postponed to a date that will be determined by the incoming administration. Buhari gave his approval after a meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra. The decision was made because of the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, which has not been carried out for 17 years, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standards of the Nigerian people.
Buhari commended the methodology being put in place by the NPC to conduct an accurate and reliable census, adding that appreciable progress had been made in the preparation for and implementation of the now-postponed census. He noted that with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, the conduct of first and second pre-tests, 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 President directed the Commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the census in order to sustain the gains already recorded and provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate these achievements. The meeting was attended by several dignitaries, including the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.
There have been calls from some quarters for the postponement of the census due to inadequate preparation, lack of funds, lack of training of supervisors for the exercise, credibility doubts raised by its timing, and security concerns, among other things. However, the decision to postpone the census was made to ensure the data collected is accurate and reliable and can drive the developmental goals of the country.
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