NPC explains last minute census postponement

The National Population Commission (NPC) says the 2023 Population and Housing Census was postponed due to government’s transition programme and the post-election mood in the country.

Dr Inuwa Jalingo, the 2023 Census Manager and Director, National Population Commission (NPC) said this at a news conference in Abuja on Sunday

Jalingo who asserted the preparedness of the commission for the 2023 census, said that the NPC had prepared ground for the first ever digital census in Nigeria.

He said that the commission had achieved top most success in all ramifications in terms of the preparation.

“We achieved international standard for digital census.

“About 450,000 digital gadgets were procured and distributed to all the local governments,” he said

Jalingo said however, that government was a continuous process, hoping that the incoming administration would build on the successes recorded for the eventual conduct of the census.
The Census Manager lauded the Buhari-led administration for its support, saying that the commission had successfully trained about 60,000 facilitators across the country.

“Any one saying we are not prepared must be saying that out of ignorance,” he said.
Jalingo reiterated the benefits of Census which were not unconnected with national economic planning and provision of data for administrative planning.

He said that the commission was able to mobilised Nigerians for the Census with every information required for a successful census.

The NPC had postponed the Population and Housing Census earlier scheduled from May 3 to May 7 indefinitely.