By John Ikani
The National Population Commission (NPC) has stated that the conduct of the 2023 population and housing census, previously scheduled for March, is likely to be postponed.
This disclosure was made by the Chairman of the Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, during a meeting with the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ms Ulla Mueller, in Abuja on Friday.
The NPC Chairman explained that the postponement of the governorship and state assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made it highly unlikely for the national census to hold in March as earlier stated.
Isa-Kwarra further stated that no official date had been communicated yet, and he would need to consult with President Muhammadu Buhari to determine a suitable date for the census.
In the same vein, the Resident Representative of UNFPA, Ms Ulla Mueller, expressed the commitment of the organization in ensuring the success of the exercise.
To support the post-enumeration survey, the UNFPA has provided sixteen high-capacity computers.
The computers will be instrumental in processing the data collected during the census exercise.
The Commission is expected to provide an update soon on the new date for the census exercise.