2023 Census Begins May 3

The National Population Commission has confirmed that the 2023 National Population and Housing census will begin on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.

The confirmation was made known in Abuja on Sunday by a member of the Publicity and Advocacy Committee, Dr Farba Abari. 

Abari, a director of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, who made the disclosure while on a News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, forum, explained that the census is expected to capture every person, household and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.

According to him, the three-day exercise would commence simultaneously across the country beginning on May 3 and ending on May 5.

While describing the census as an important national event of great importance that had earlier been planned to hold earlier, Dr Abari explained that the change in date was ocassioned by the postponement of the 2023 gubernatorial and state houses of assembly elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

“The census had to be put forward from the initial date of March 29 to April 2nd, now to May 3rd to 5th.

“That change by INEC made it mandatory for us to also adjust the date for the conduct of the exercise,” he said.

“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," Dr Abari added. 

He assured that the National Population Commission was ready for the task as according to him;

“Most of the information that have gone out to the public about the census like the awareness creation, sensitisation, enlightenment, advocacy around the census have all been taking place. 

“Perhaps, not on a scale that will make us feel comfortable to say every Nigerian is now census conscious, census aware, in spite of the very significant role that it has to play in our national life.

“But, clearly, the census is absolutely important because it is for development, planning, security, infrastructure development, educational, health and other demographic considerations all encapsulating in one," he pointed out.