Buhari postpones 2023 census saying he will leave it to the incoming Tinubu administration

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has approved the postponement of Nigeria's 2023 population and housing census saying he will now leave the matter to the incoming administration to determine.

Nigeria had been due to hold a nation census between May 3 and 7 but after a meeting with the members of his cabinet and the National Population Commission (NPC), President Buhari has decided to scrap it. Information minister Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that preparations for the exercise remain ongoing but the actual census will be organised by the Tinubu administration.

Alhaji Mohamed said: "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 one. This is needed to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standards of the Nigerian people.”

He added that President Buhari 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 and ICT infrastructure, appreciable progress had been made in the implementation of the 2023 population and housing census. He also commended the methodology being put in place by the NPC to conduct accurate and reliable census.

According to Alhaji Mohammed, President Buhari further directed the NPC to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 exercise in order to sustain the gains already recorded. he added that this will provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate those achievements.