FG POSTPONES POPULATION CENSUS TO MAY

Lai Mohammed

FG postpones population census to May: approves N2.8 billion for procurement of software

The federal government has shifted the population and housing census earlier scheduled for March 29. The exercise will now hold in May.

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, announced the development on Wednesday at the end of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.

The news was revealed on Wednesday at the conclusion of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, which was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari. Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, made the announcement.

Mohammed said to reporters from State House that the March 18 date change for the governor's race made the decision necessary.

He added that the National Population Commission (NPC) was given permission to purchase software for the census by receiving N2.8 billion from the council; "There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking some software to allow them to conduct the census in May this year. I believe because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled," the minister said.

"They sought Council's approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion."

You might remember that the federal government estimated that more than $1.88 billion (N869 billion) would be required to carry out the exercise. After the elections in April 2023, the federal government declared it will conduct the census in April 2022.

The federal government has supplied 46% of the budget, according to Clement Agba, minister of state for budget and national planning, who was speaking at an event in Abuja. According to him, N327.2 billion is still required to adequately conduct the census.