2023 Census shifted to ensure acceptability, ownership by incoming government

The 2023 National Population and Housing Census was postponed to ensure acceptability and ownership by the incoming administration of President-elect, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Malam Nasiru Isah Kwarra, disclosed this during an advocacy visit to Governor Abdulrahman Abduleazaq in Ilorin on Thursday.

He said all the 16 local government areas in the state had been demarcated alongside others across the country except some areas in Bornu and Zamfara States for the first digital census exercise in Nigeria.

According to the chairman, all technologies to be deployed for the exercise have been tested including GPS and satellite for the digital maps to be used for the census.

Malam Nasiru Kwarra added that every house in the country had been physically demarcated except for migrant farmers and mentally challenged citizens of the country.

The chairman said 30 percent of those who applied for the census exercise, were recruited from the localities to ensure smooth operation and execution of the project.

Assuring that the 2023 census will be different from the previous exercises, he said a necessary mechanism had been put in place to monitor the conduct of staff to ensure accuracy and efficiency to mitigate litigations at the end of the exercise.

The chairman thanked the state government for supporting the commission in the state and solicited continued support to ensure the success of the exercise.

Responding, Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi, who received the NPC chairman on behalf of the state governor, described census as very important for the overall development of Nigeria, including sharing of resources to geo-political zones of the country.

Also speaking, the Federal Population Commissioner in Kwara State, Abdulrazaq Folorunsho Gidado, thanked the government for its support so far to the agency.