Buhari approves postponement of 2023 census

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

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said in a statement on Saturday that Buhari approved after meeting with some Federal Executive Council members and the National Population Commission Chairman and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, April 28.

“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,” Mohammed stated.

“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.”

Mohammed noted that the president commended the methodology being put in place by the Commission to conduct an accurate and reliable census, especially the massive deployment of technology capable of delivering a world-class census and laying a sustainable basis for future censuses.

The minister added that Buhari has further directed the Commission to continue preparing for 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, Abubakar Malami; the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha.