The Nigerian Population Commission has once again spoken out on when the 2023 census will commence.
This is as the Federal Commissioner of the NPC in Kwara State, Abdulrazaq Folorunsho Gidado, has reassured Nigerians that the long-awaited 2023 population and housing census project will hold this year.
Gidado promised that the 2023 census which was seen as a critical and topical issue in Nigeria will soon become a thing of the past.
He added that the NPC board has taken necessary steps to reach out to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to have his ears on the project.
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Gifado added that the Chief of Staff to the President, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Secretary to the Federation, Mr George Akume, among other personal aides of the president, have been consulted to get an audience with the government for a new date from the president.
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The Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, NGF, and Governor of Kwara State, Malam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has also been consulted on the need for a census exercise this year.
He explained that the NPC was determined to ensure that the huge funds invested in the 2023 census project will not go to waste.
Speaking at a breakfast meeting with media executives in Ilorin on Tuesday, the commissioner expressed full support for the postponement of the exercise by the previous government of Muhammadu Buhari.
He stated that the postponement was to allow the new government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to have an input in the exercise, as the new government will receive and accept the documents.
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He blamed the present problems of the country on the inability to have accurate population data for proper planning and development of the people.
NPC Commissioner said:
“A robust database is very crucial for Nigeria among the comity of nations. ”
Gidado disclosed that over eighteen thousand ad-hoc staff have been recruited for the conduct of the census exercise in Kwara State.
