Key highlights
- The NOA Director-General confirmed that the population and housing census would be a 3-day exercise that would commence on May 3 and end on May 5 across the country.
- He said the exercise which was initially scheduled for March 29 to April 2 was shifted due to the postponement of the 2023 gubernatorial and state assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
- Abari also assured Nigerians of a credible population and housing census that would be transparent and acceptable.
The Federal Government has confirmed that the 2023 National Population and Housing Census will commence on May 3 and end on May 5 across the country.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), this was made known by a member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee of the 2023 National Population and Housing Census, Dr. Garba Abari, while featuring on its forum on Sunday, March 26, 2023, in Abuja.
Abari, who is the Director-General of, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), explained that the 3-day census exercise would capture every person, household and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.
Change in date was due to the elections
The NOA boss noted that 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 said, “That change by INEC made it mandatory for us to also adjust the date for the conduct of the exercise.’’
He described the census and the 2023 elections as major national events with significant importance which had earlier been planned to hold not too far away from each other.
- Abari said, “The census had to be put forward from the initial date of March 29 to April 2nd, now to May 3rd to 5th.
- “There are two things that informed the shift in date. First, in the course of our planning by the National Population Commission, it was so factored that INEC will also tinker with its own electoral timetable.
- “The gubernatorial election, as you are aware, had to be shifted by one week. This had a telling effect on the date of commencement of the census.
- “Just like election, the Census is also a very long process, from the training, the sub-trainings, retraining leading uptill the very day of the actual house listing and numbering.
- “These will then be 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, describing the exercise as a significant event that would aid national planning and execution of developmental projects.
Assures of credible, transparent, acceptable exercise
Abari also assured Nigerians of a credible population and housing census that would be transparent and acceptable.
- He said, “The most important thing is to make Nigerians aware that census is about them because they matter; so let them be counted because they count.
- “It is all about them, about planning for development, security, and others.
- “When you are not actually able to get the correct information about all that we do, or how many we are, how many are male, female, how many are old, young, how many are persons with disabilities, planning will be difficult.
- “A reliable census provides an important ingredient that will help national planning. We need a holistic database that is scientific to guide different levels of government in the provision of services, infrastructure and the way and manner they relate as government to the people.”
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