The federal government has again postponed the 2023 population and housing census. A reliable source who spoke on Saturday said the decision!!
The federal government has again postponed the 2023 population and housing census.
Reliable sources who spoke to the Daily Trust on Saturday said the decision was made yesterday following a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and National Population Council (NPC) chief Nasir Isa Kwarra of.
The source, who did not want his name to be published because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said the delay was due to the committee’s challenges in running the exercise seamlessly.
While he didn’t disclose the challenge to our reporters, the committee had previously suspended training for temporary staff to conduct the population count due to financial and logistical issues.
But when asked if a new date had been set, he said he could not reveal it because Information and Culture Minister Rai Mohamad would be broadcasting it today.
Recall that the census was originally scheduled to take place on March 27, but was pushed back to May 3 due to the early postponement of the gubernatorial election.
Also, the committee chairman said in a meeting with the diplomatic corps in Abuja on Thursday that the committee has not yet acquired all the equipment it needs to conduct the census, noting that some equipment will be procured within days’ time.
“For the country, we need up to 800,000 PADs and we have procured about 500,000 so far. The rest will arrive in a few days,” he said.
Regarding donations to the census from the private sector and other key stakeholders, he said: “But you know how they operate; the money doesn’t come in that way. They have to talk to their own government and look at their budget. So, The process is ongoing. But we can’t say any money is coming in. It’s a process, and the process is unfolding.”
According to sources, the NPC President was accompanied by NPC Rivers State Federal Commissioner Dr Ipali Pohari to the State Capitol; NPC Kaduna State Federal Commissioner Dr Abdulmalik Durunguwa; NPC Standing Committee Director Tellson Osifo Ojogun and NPC Population Census Director Ms Evelyn Olanipekun.
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