The postponement of the May 3, 2023 population and housing census has been approved by President Muhammadu Buhari, according to Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture.
The Minister stated that the new administration will choose a new date in a statement made in Abuja on Friday morning.
The 2023 Population and Housing Census, which was originally slated for May 3–7, 2023, has been postponed, according to a statement from President Muhammadu Buhari, until a time that would be decided by the incoming Administration.
“The President gave the go-ahead following a meeting on Friday, April 28, 2023, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja with a few members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission and his staff.
In making the decision to postpone the census, the meeting reaffirmed the urgent need to conduct a population and housing census, 17 years after the last one, in order to gather current data that will support the nation’s development goals and raise the standard of living for Nigerians.
“The President noted that significant progress has been made toward the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census with the completion of the country’s Enumeration Area Demarcation, the conducting of first and second pretests, the recruitment and training of adhoc workers, the procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and ICT infrastructures.
He also praised the technique used by the Commission to conduct an accurate and trustworthy census, particularly the widespread use of technology that can provide a world-class census and establish the groundwork for future censuses.
“In order to maintain the improvements previously seen and provide a foundation for the new administration to cement these accomplishments, the President also authorized the Commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.
“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.”
