The Federal Government, on Wednesday, postponed the 2023 population and housing census earlier scheduled for March 29.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, revealed this to State House Correspondents shortly after this week's Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Mohammed said the postponement became necessary as the Independent National Electoral Commission, last Wednesday, rescheduled the governorship elections to March 18.
He also revealed that the Council approved N2.8bn for the National Population Commission to procure software to be deployed for the census.
“There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking for some software to allow them conduct the census in May this year.
“I believe because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as planned.
“They sought Council's approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8bn,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, on Wednesday, inaugurated two committees to collaborate with the National Population Commission on the forthcoming national population census exercise.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony held in the Government House, Yenagoa, Diri described population census as a critical ingredient for development hence the need for the government to plan towards a hitch-free exercise in the state.
