The Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC) in Osun State, Dr. Amidu Tadese, said that the plan to conduct the 2023 census has not been abandoned.
He said the steps put in place by the previous administration will be followed and improved upon to conduct a new census.
Tadese, who spoke at the NPC office in Osogbo when he assumed office, added that the timing of the 2023 census planned by former President Muhammadu Buhari clearly showed that it was designed not to hold.
He wondered why an outgoing president would plan to hold a census in the same month he was supposed to leave office.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari announced the postponement of the census, which was slated for May 3-7, to enable the incoming administration to conduct it.
Tadese stated further that the census might have been rejected by Nigerians if it had been conducted by the previous administration.
He added that efforts are underway to ensure the adequate conduct of a population and housing census that will be acceptable to all Nigerians.
“The last administration of President Buhari attempted to conduct a census in 2023. We don’t need to be told that the timing of last year’s census was designed ab initio not to hold because the government was supposed to depart on May 29.“It was not that the sitting president would be sworn in for another term. A new person was coming on board. The election had just taken place. So, the then-president made the right decision by suspending it to allow the incoming administration to settle down and address the issue.
“Since the coming of President Bola Tinubu, not that the issue has not been raised, but a new government coming in will need more time to settle down, most importantly to address the issue as important as that of the census.”
