FG finally confirms Census will hold in May

The Federal Government has confirmed that the 2023 population and housing census earlier scheduled for March 29 will now hold in May 2023.

Daily Trust had exclusively reported that the exercise had been shifted till the last month of the Buhari administration in office.

A staff member of the commission, who did not want his name in print, had confirmed the postponement to Daily Trust.

“The census will hold now from May 3 to 7 and it is a recommendation that has been submitted to the President. He is going to approve it anyway but it is yet to be decided,” he had said.

While briefing State House reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information, confirmed that the postponement had been ratified.

He said the decision was necessitated by the rescheduling of the gubernatorial election to March 18.

The minister said council approved the sum of N2.8 billion for the National Population Commission (NPC) to procure some software to be used for the conduct of the census.

• Ibrahimovic recalled to Sweden squad aged 41
• 900 ‘terrorists collaborators’ apprehended by MNJTF troops

“There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking for some software to allow them conduct the census in May this year. I believe because of the reschedulement of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled.

“They sought Council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion,” he said.

This is the first census which would hold after 17 years.