The Federal Government of Nigeria has set aside May 3 to 5 for the 2023 National Population and Housing Census commencement as confirmed by Dr. GarbaAbari, a member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee on the 2023 National Population, and Housing Census.
Dr. GarbaAbari, a member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee on the 2023 National Population, and Housing Census confirmed this during a chat with NAN Forum – Sunday where he also disclosed that the exercise would commence all over the country, Nigeria same date.
Abari, who is also the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), explained that the census exercise would capture every person, household, and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.
He said the change in the date was due to the postponement of the 2023 gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He explained that the change by INEC made it mandatory for the commission to also adjust the date for the conduct of the exercise.
Dr. Garba described the census and the 2023 elections as major national events with very significant importance which had earlier been planned to hold not too far away from each other.
He said 2 things informed the shift in date as in the course of the planning by the National Population Commission, it was so factored that INEC will also tinker with its electoral timetable even as the gubernatorial election had to be postponed without minding its adverse effects.
Garba explained that just like election, the census is also a very long process, from the training, the sub-trainings, retraining leading up till the very day of the actual house listing and numbering, followed by the actual capture of the population.
On the level of preparedness, the NOA boss assured the nation that the National Population Commission was ready to embark on the exercise while describing the exercise as a significant event that would aid the national planning and execution of developmental projects.
He also opined that “Most of the information that have gone out to the public about the census like the awareness creation, sensitization, enlightenment, advocacy around the census have all been taking place as arranged.
He stated that thethe exercise may not be on a scale that will make the commission feel comfortable to say every Nigerian is now census conscious, census aware, despite the very significant role that it has to play in our national life.
Dr. Garba also stated that the census is absolutely important because it is for development, planning, security, infrastructure development, educational, health and other demographic considerations all in one large basket.
