The 2023 Population and Housing Census, which was initially slated for May 3–7, 2023, has been postponed with the approval of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.), until a date to be decided by the incoming administration.
On Friday, April 28, 2023, in the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the President met with a few members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, and his team
This information can be found in a press release that was issued on Saturday morning and is signed by Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture.
In making the decision to delay 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 current data that will drive the country’s developmental goals and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people,” according to the statement.
There have been requests for the census to be postponed from various quarters for a variety of reasons, including inadequate planning, a lack of funding, supervisors’ lack of preparedness for the exercise, credibility difficulties caused by the scheduling, and security concerns, among others.
Additionally, there have been demonstrations against the census in a number of locations, particularly in the Middle Belt. Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, has been outspoken about the importance of putting insecurity before the population census count. Many other groups, including the Middle Belt Patriots, have also called for a postponement.
