The postponement of the 2023 census by President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as a welcome development by the Labour party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
President Buhari approved the postponement after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa-Kwarra, and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday.
In a tweet on Saturday, Peter Obi praised the decision, stating that “FGN’s decision to postpone the 2023 Population and Housing Census, scheduled for 3-7 May 2023, to a date to be determined by the incoming Administration is a propitious and welcome development.”
Obi emphasized the importance of a national census as a critical development and nation-building tool. He argued that conducting a census requires proper planning and diligence to ensure the sanctity of the results, the efficacy of the data gathered, and their utility in driving national development goals.
Despite Nigeria being long overdue for a census, Obi expressed the need for the information gathered from the exercise to be used effectively in driving national development goals, living standards, and growing national housing deficits. He further hoped that when eventually the census is conducted, it would serve as a confidence-building measure instead of being fraught with usual controversy.
The postponement of the census to a date to be determined by the incoming administration will allow for adequate planning and preparation to ensure the success and accuracy of the census exercise.
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