Plan To Conduct 2023 Census Has Not Been Abandoned- NPC

The federal commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC) in Osun state, Dr Amidu Tadese, yesterday said the plan to conduct the 2023 census has not been abandoned.

He said the steps put in place by the past administration will be followed and improved upon to conduct a new one.

Tadese who spoke at the office of NPC in Osogbo, when he assumed office, added that the timing of the 2023 census planned by former President Muhammadu Buhari clearly shows that it was designed not to hold.

He wondered why an outgoing president would have planned to hold a census in the same month he was supposed to leave office.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari announced the postponement of the census which was slated for May 3-7 to enable the incoming administration to conduct it.

Tadese stated further that the census may be rejected by Nigerians if it was conducted by the past administration, adding that efforts are on to ensure adequate conduct of population and housing census that will be acceptable to all Nigerians.

“The last administration of President Buhari attempted to conduct a census in 2023. We don’t need to be told that the timing of last year’s census was designed ab initio not to hold because the government was supposed to depart on May 29.

“Not that the sitting president would be sworn in for another term. A new person will be coming on board. The election just took place. So, the then-president took the right decision by suspending it to allow the coming administration to settle down and address the issue.

“Since the coming of President Bola Tinubu, not that the issue has not been raised, but a new government coming in will need more time to settle down, most importantly address the issue as important as that of census.”