The Federal Government has announced a shift of the population and housing census earlier scheduled for end of March to May, 2023.
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed made this known to newsmen on Wednesday at the end of the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Minister explained that the decision to move the date was necessitated by the rescheduling of the gubernatorial election to March 18.
He also disclosed that the Council approved the sum of N2.8 billion for the National Population Commission (NPC) to procure some software to be used for the conduct of the census.
According to him: “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 scheduled.
“They sought Council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion”.