Buhari approves postponement of 2023 National Census

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census, earlier scheduled for May 3-7 2023, to a date to be determined by the incoming administration. 

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who disclosed this in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja, said the President gave the approval after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) 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 would drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standards of the Nigerian people.

The minister said President Buhari 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 Information and Communications Technology (ICT) infrastructure, appreciable progress has been made in the implementation of the census.

He noted that the president 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

He further directed the commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census to sustain the gains already recorded and provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate these achievements. 

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.