President Muhammadu Buhari has approved postponement of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

The exercise was earlier scheduled for May 3 – 7 2023, but will now be shifted to a date to be determined by the incoming administration.

President Buhari gave the approval at the aftermath of a meeting with members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission, together with his team at the Presidential Villa on Friday, April 28, 2023.

The postponement if the 2023 census was contained in a press statement signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, which was released on Saturday morning.

The development is coming amid several calls for the 2023 census to be postponed.

A statement signed and issued by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Saturday said, ”In arriving at the decision to postpone the Census, the meeting reiterated the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, 17 years after the last Census, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people.”

He said Buhari noted that with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, conduct of first and second pretests, the recruitment and training of ad hoc workers, procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and ICT infrastructures, appreciable progress had been made in the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

He also commended the methodology being put in place by the Commission to conduct accurate and reliable Census, especially the massive deployment of technology that is capable of delivering world class Census and laying a sustainable basis for future censuses.

Buhari further directed the Commission to continue with preparations for the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census in order to sustain the gains already recorded and provide the basis for the incoming administration to consolidate those achievements.