The decision was made on Friday following a meeting at the State House between President Muhammadu Buhari and Nasir Isa Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC).

Remember that the earlier postponement of the gubernatorial elections resulted in the Census being moved from its original March 27 date to May 3.

On Thursday, during a meeting with the diplomatic corps at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, the chairman of the commission stated that the commission was yet to get all the devices needed to carry out the census, noting that some devices will be procured in a few days.

“For the country, we require up to 800,000 PADs, so far, we have procured about 500,000. The remaining are coming in a few days,” he said.

On the donations for the census by the private sector and other key stakeholders, he said “But you know the way they operate; it is not as if the money will come like that. They have to talk with their government and look at their budget. So, that process is ongoing. But we cannot say any money has come in. It is a process, and the process is unfolding.”

Lai confirmed this to State House correspondents at the conclusion of the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja.

The Minister said the decision to move the census was necessitated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) postponing the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections from March 11 to March 18.

He also revealed that the council approved N2.8 billion for the National Population Commission (NPC) to purchase software for the census.

“There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking some software to allow them to conduct the census in May this year. I believe that because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled.

“They sought the council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at a cost of N2.8 billion,” he said.

In addition, Osinbajo stated that N21 billion had been spent by the Federal Government to map the nation into census-county regions in preparation for the 2023 census.

On Thursday in Abuja during the Breakfast Meeting with Partners on the 2023 Population and Housing Census organized by the National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with  UNFPA, the Vice President made this announcement.

Osinbajo was represented by Laolu Akande, his spokesman.

“The Federal Government had demonstrated tangible commitment to the conduct of the 2023 Population and Housing Census as evidenced in the provision of funds for the implementation of important preliminary activities.

“Specifically, the Federal Government has spent about N21 billion for the mapping of the country into enumeration areas for the census.

“The government, so far, has now approved the sum of N198 billion in the 2022 Appropriation Act of which about 60 percent has since been released,’’ he said.

He said that the funds had positioned the commission in readiness for the successful conduct of the census in April 2023

The Vice President said, however, that there was a need for more resources and additional funding sources from committed partners.

Osinbajo said the breakfast meeting was a necessary step towards soliciting support for the conduct of a census that will be truly digital, and scientific and provide data that would guide national development.

He commended the NPC, UNFPA, and all partners for their commitments and hard work to meet the set goals.

“I would like to urge our distinguished partners to extend maximum cooperation to the country, our government, in the execution of this very important project.

“It is the expectation that as our dependable partners, you will as always, play this expected role towards the successful conduct of the 2023 census,’’ he said.

The Commission had in April announced that the general census would commence after the 2023 elections. it will be the first-ever digitally compliant population and housing census in Nigeria.

The NPC is responsible for producing data about the Nigerian people and economy and the last population and housing census in Nigeria took place in 2006.

The total population in Nigeria was estimated at 206.14 million people in 2020, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics.

According to Deji Ajayi, Commissioner, NPC at a press conference: “The commission has intensified preparatory activities deploying technological innovations on a massive scale to conduct a truly scientific census that will not only be accurate and reliable but also transparent and acceptable to all Nigerians.

“It will be an entirely paperless exercise. No document will be brought to interview people as it will be digital. We will ensure that we have a seamless census.

”He also revealed a total of one million Nigerians would be recruited by the Federal Government for the conduct of the 2023 national census.

The former Ekiti State’s head of service added that nine towns across nine local governments selected out of the 16 LGAs in the state, had been delineated into Enumerated Areas (EAs) to ease the trial census. He pointed out areas to be enumerated in the trial census as Ado, Emure, Iro, Ijero, Ikole, Iworoko, Ise, Ikun, and Omuo Ekiti.

Explaining the significance of census to nation-building, Ajayi said population statistics would be used by private organizations to plan for the recruitment of young Nigerians by knowing the number of the active population.

“The government will also use such statistics to plan for our youth, students, and the health needs of Nigerians. They will also know the number of senior citizens who should be catered for.”

Assuring that the exercise will be difficult to manipulate, the NPC boss said, “The biometric technology will capture your face and fingerprints and goes to the server and any similar information supplied will be noticed and expunged from the data immediately.