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Tag: 2023 census

  • Postponed 2023 census: Items procured available for scrutiny – NPC

    Postponed 2023 census: Items procured available for scrutiny – NPC

    The Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Alhaji Nasir Kwarra, has assured that the N200 billion spent on the postponed 2023 census was judiciously utilised and items procured available for scrutiny.

    Kwarra said this on Thursday in Akwanga, Nasarawa State, while fielding questions from journalists on the sideline of the opening ceremony of the Training Interviewers for the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).

    The House of Representatives had on Wednesday sought to investigate the N200 billion spent on preparations for the postponed 2023 census by NPC.

    The NPC boss said the procurement preparatory processes for the census were enduring and items procured durable as they would be used for the next census because they are readily available.

    “We don’t have to procure these items again and the training that we have conducted remains with the people we trained, the facilitators, the supervisors and the enumerators.

    “So, what we may need to do is to do a refresher training for the trial census that we did because it’s been more than a year; we will do a similar thing, but maybe the scope will be reduced because we don’t have to go all out again and conduct a full blown trial census.

    “So, most things are in place, right from the Personal Digital Assistants procured are well secured in our various Central Bank of Nigeria offices nationwide.”

    The chairman added that other facilities such as manuals for the training, the ICT equipment, data centres have been continually developed and that the commission is on course for the census.

    He, however, said that he believes that the nation still needs the census because the issue of security depends on it.

    He said “no matter what, we need this data so that we can plan for the development of the country, including addressing the issue of security.”

    On the importance of the NDHS, Kwarra said that over the years, the survey stood as a beacon of reliable, comprehensive data, providing policymakers, actionable researchers and stakeholders with insights to make informed decisions.

    He added that “every cycle of the NDHS brings not only its own set of challenges, but opportunities to redefine the narrative for health and social demographics in Nigeria.

    “The importance of what we are about to undertake cannot be overstated. The stakes are high; the information we gather and the insights we develop have the capability to influence health and social policies, not just for the immediate future, but for a long time to come.

    “It is not simply about numbers and data; it’s about human lives, about the wellbeing of our communities and the future trajectory of our nation.”

    The chairman told the interviewers that as key players in the project, the success of the NDHS hinges on the quality, authenticity and precision of the information they gather.

    Mr Ishaku Maigida, the Director, Field Services and Methodology, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said that the data going to be generated and produced would help to bridge the gap on availability of data on nutrition, particularly among children and women within the reproductive age.

    He assured that NBS would continually collaborate with the commission and any other agency working toward data generation to ensure reliable data.

    Dr Chris Isokpunwu, the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said that the NDHS is an important source of information for the health sector, setting a baseline for government’s performance on health.

    He said “the survey is being conducted by Nigerians and owned by Nigeria because the NPC is conducting it and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is providing technical support.

    “When the result comes out, it will be a Nigerian result, so we have to make it an accurate one such that external persons will agree that we have conducted a good survey.

    “Therefore, I want you to know that this is a national assignment and our national reputation is also at stake and this is one survey that you will be proud of.

    “Please take this training seriously because it’s going to be important when you go to the field; do not be tempted to cook or forge results because decisions are made based on those results and when that happens, you may be the one affected.”

    Dr Joy Ufere, the World Health Orgainsation’s Technical Adviser on Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health/Healthy Aging, said that the survey is important as the world is almost six years toward the  attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    According to her, Nigeria is signatory to the SDGs and the survey will tell if the nation is getting closer to achieving the goals or not.

    She added that “this survey will also tell us the number of Nigerians reached to ensure that we provide Universal Health Coverage.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NDHS is expected to produce data on infant and child mortality, health of women and maternal mortality.

    It will be carried out by collecting data from 42,000 households in 1400 clusters within and across the 774 local government areas of the country.

    It will involve collecting data from women of reproductive age from 15 to 49 years and men 15 to 69 years.

    Also, the height and weight of children under the age of five years will be determined, as well as the extent of wasting and stunting in children so that policy and programmes will be tailored toward addressing identified health issues.

  • Reps to investigate N200bn expenditure on postponed 2023 census

    Reps to investigate N200bn expenditure on postponed 2023 census

    The House of Representatives, says it will investigate the N200 billion expended on the postponed 2023 census by the National Population Commission (NPC).

    The resolution to investigate the NPC’s expenditure was sequel to a unanimous adoption of a motion co-sponsored by Rep. Dominic Okafor (APGA- Anambra) and Rep. Patrick Umoh (APC-Akwa Ibom) at plenary on Wednesday.

    Okafor, who moved the motion, said “census provides accurate population data crucial for development planning, policy formulation, resource allocation, and government programme implementation.”

    He said that census was most necessary especially at a time when the Federal Government in conjunction with State Governments were working on giving palliatives to vulnerable citizens and also planning other social services.

    The Rep member said that the NPC had the mandate to conduct periodic census surveys, and other methods to enumerate the country’s population and to provide data for national planning and economic development.

    Okafor recalled that a national census was last conducted in Nigeria in 2006 and the 2023 census, but that the was to have held scheduled in May 2023, was postponed by the commission.

    According to him, the data collected in the 2006 census is far from reality today and cannot validly form a solid base for the formation of national economic policies that will aid the federal government in administering viable national planning.

    “The commission has admitted to having spent N200 billion of the N800 billion budgeted for the planning mid-execution of the 2023 population and housing census, which was postponed.

    “The financial investment in 2023 population census planning would have improved economic planning and distribution of palliatives in the country.

    “If the population and housing census fails to take place within 12 months, the information gathered across the country would become stale, a waste of resources and the country would have to increase costs of gathering fresh information,” he said.

    He said that the Chairman of the commission, Alhaji Nasir Kwarra, had expressed readiness to conduct a population and housing census during a visit to President Bola Tinubu on July 6, 2023.

    The green chambers urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a date for the conduction of 2023 population and housing census to facilitate accurate economic planning.

    The house urged the Federal Government to, upon fixing a date for the census, constitute Census Tribunals in designated centres in accordance with Section 28 of the National Population Commission, Act, 2004.

    The lawmakers charged the NPC not to relent in its preparation for the 2023 population and housing census.

    In his ruling, the Speaker of the house,  Tajudeen Abbas, mandated the Committee on Population to investigate the money expended on the postponed 2023 population.

    He asked the committee to  liaise with the NPC to ensure a successful population and housing census when proclaimed.

  • 2023 census: NPC debunks hacking of server

    2023 census: NPC debunks hacking of server

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has reassured the public of the safety of its server and data as they prepare for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

    Dr Isiaka Yahaya, Director, Public Affairs Department (PAD) said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday.

    A staff of the Commission and Comptroller of Chanchaga LGA, Niger State, Mr Sanusi Maigida had earlier claimed that the NPC server was hacked.

    Maigida had cited this development as the reason for the postponement of the LGA-level training of the Supervisors and Enumerators for the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

    Yahaya, who reaffirmed the commitment of the commission to a credible and acceptable census, said that its server was not hacked.

    The public affairs department boss described as false and misleading, the information on hacking of the commission’s server.

    “We wish to assure the public that the security of the data for the
    2023 Population and Housing Census is absolutely guaranteed.

    “The commission is committed to upholding the highest standards of data protection and maintaining the trust placed in us by the Nigerian population,” he said.

    Yahaya explained that the Commission’s Chairman, Alhaji Nasir Kwarra’s visit to the United Nations was to attend the 56th Session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development was to the benefit of the country.

    He said the chairman also presented Nigeria’s statement on ‘Population and Development’ at the global event and has since returned to the country ahead of preparations for the first digital Census in Nigeria.

    “Over the years, it has been the standard practice for the Chairman of the Commission to attend the annual event on Population and Development in line with the mandate of NPC as the coordinating agency on population matters in Nigeria.

    “Consequently, the public is advised to disregard the false statement trending online about the hacking of the commission’s server and the subsequent travel of the NPC Chairman to restore the purported hacked server,” he said.

    He assured of the commission’s determination to continue to update the populace on developments regarding the 2023 Population and Housing Census as events unfold.

    Yahaya solicited for Nigerians’ support to ensure a secure and successful 2023 Census exercise.

  • 2023 census: Make yourself available to be counted – NPC to Deltans

    2023 census: Make yourself available to be counted – NPC to Deltans

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has advised the people of Delta State to make themselves available for counting in the 2023 population and housing census.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Chief Richard Odibo, NPC’s Federal Commissioner in Delta gave the advice in an interview on Wednesday in Asaba, the State capital.

    Chief Odibo gave the advice while disclosing that NPC plans to train about 20,000 personnel for the 2023 census in Delta.

    He said that the personnel would be in categories such as enumerators, supervisors and coordinators.

    Odibo said the commission had been carrying out training for all levels of functionaries in other parts of the country, including Delta.

    He said the commission had for long commenced the processes for the success of the 2023 census.

    ”The first thing we did across the country was to conduct the enumeration area demarcation.

    “Every local government area in Delta has been demarcated including the hard-to-reach areas.

    ”Thereafter, we have tested our instruments and carried out what we called the trial census within Delta,” he said.

    Odibo said some people were unaware of the new innovation that would be employed during the exercise.

    “A lot of people are not aware of the technology to be used during the 2023 Census.

    ”I advise the people of Delta to cooperate and make themselves and their children available to be counted and discard myths about census that does not hold water.

    ”Census enables the Federal Government to plan for every citizen of the country, including children both the able-bodied and the physically challenged,” he said.

    The commissioner, therefore, called on the state government, policy and decision-makers to ensure they enlightened their people on the need to make themselves available to be counted.

    ”We expect the state government, policy and decision makers to do their bid.

    ”When we generate the data, we will disseminate it to the policymakers to make use for the country’s development,” he said.

  • In the twilight of a government, tech projects guzzle billions – By Okoh Aihe

    In the twilight of a government, tech projects guzzle billions – By Okoh Aihe

    Lately, there has been a rash of tech contracts, all wearing the accoutrement of patriotism and the insignia of a government that is desperate to leave a fertile legacy for the people. The little problem is that time is running out fast for this administration and it is nigh impossible to bundle high end projects into the few days that are left in its lifespan. Just over a month!

    Let’s take a few screaming headlines in the past few days and months, just a few: FG awards Over N85bn Census Contract to Zinox Technologies (The Guardian, February 9, 2023); Census: FEC approves N15.3bn for ICT devices to aid exercise (Premium Times, April 6, 2023); and FEC approves N24.2bn free Internet for 20 airports, varsities and markets (Vanguard, March 29, 2023).

    Beautiful projects, you may want to suggest. There is no doubt that the nation needs a dependable census in order to save us from frivolities with figures. It is hardly possible for two government departments to quote the same population figure for the country. Everything is guesswork, making planning even a guesswork because there is no structured explanation of the number of people the nation is planning for.

    There is also no doubt that Zinox Technologies, the first major indigenous computer manufacturers with high networth international reach, is appropriately suited to handle this huge project. Two tech contracts or more have been awarded for the same project. The eyebrows could be kept very busy, being raised all the time at the nature of contracts being awarded at the twilight of this administration. A question by a layman here is what contracts are being awarded that couldn’t be bundled into one to deliver on a project. The people behind Zinox, including the chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh, have proven so much of their tech mettle that they couldn’t just be selling shells to the National Population Commission (NPC) without any blood (software) running in them. There has to be a convenient explanation for the various contracts.

    There is another problem anyway. The Nigerian government has done so badly with technology lately, especially viewed from the template of INEC 2023 election disaster, that it will prove a little Herculean for any one in government to canvas for credulous acceptance of their activities based on the dependability of technology. Just add the Adamawa supplementary election outcome to the plate of disasters on INEC’s table, it becomes even more difficult and an undeserved haste for the government to be pushing for a census using technology, without putting a closure to very troubling elections.

    However, the most puzzling of the contracts is the rollout of WiFi at airports, varsities and markets across the nation. Attractive as it may sound and look, it breaks all credulity, strains business sense, questions morality and demonstrates the government’s meddlesomeness in places where it has no business.

    This writer can say here without equivocations that there are already provisions by the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), domiciled at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), (you may also want to add Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFUND), to fund technology rollout in higher institutions. However, this particular contract has been passed to the NCC for funding instead of those other bodies. What business has the regulator with the airport WiFi?

    Announcing such a needless intervention, a happy Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, said:

    “The Federal Executive Council today approved two memos for the Nigerian Communications Commission, a parastatal under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

    “In these two memos, certain intervention projects are going to be implemented by the federal government of Nigeria, through the Nigerian Communications Commission, of providing internet in 20 selected airports in Nigeria and higher institutions of learning and also some markets to support micro, small and medium enterprises.”

    The minister’s effusions are understandable but totally misplaced and misdirected. Those funds being taken from the NCC are not for the right cause.

    It is the responsibility of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to develop its facilities as stated in the FAAN Act of 1996 as amended in 1999. It states in part:

    “To develop, provide and maintain at airports and within the Nigeria Air Space all necessary services and facilities for the safe, orderly, expeditious and economic operations of air transport.

    “To provide adequate conditions under which passengers and goods may be carried by air and under which aircraft may be used for other gainful purposes, and for prohibiting the carriage by air of goods of such classes as may be prescribed.”

    The Act accommodates relationships with other parties like agents or working in partnership with other persons to build out facilities for passengers’ comfort and general efficiency of the airport.

    Since nothing is novel under the sun and Nigeria does not live in isolation from the rest of the world, we decided to have a quick check at some of the most popular airports around the world. First stop was London Heathrow.

    When the Heathrow management needed to upgrade the airport WiFi facilities in April 2019 for the delight of its numerous passengers, it got into a relationship with an American Internet service provider, Boingo, which provides such tech services in different airports across the world.

    At the time, property head at Heathrow, John Arbuckle said: “Whether passengers are streaming, browsing or working on the go, we’re excited to improve their connectivity experience with the latest generation of Boingo’s award-winning Wi-Fi.

    “This is just one of many initiatives that Heathrow has invested in to serve and delight our 80 million passengers, making Heathrow a world-class airport.”

    Dawn Callahan, Boingo chief marketing officer, called their Passpoint Wi-Fi technology a game-changer which they were happy to introduce at Heathrow.

    Next stop is Dubai, the tiny Emirate country that some Nigerians love to vacation in or even buy property at the Burj Khalifa with stolen money just to rub shoulders with genuine dollar billionaires from other parts of the world.

    Five years earlier, in February 2014, Boingo was selected to manage the WiFi facility and digital advertising sales and support for Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central with a combined traffic of 66 million passengers at the time. The facility would allow passengers easy access to high speed internet and entertainment contents.

    October 2005, Boingo was among the three wireless internet service providers selected to provide WiFi facilities at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; the other two being Concourse Communications Group LLC and Sprint Nextel Corp.

    Boingo is also a leading WiFi service provider to some of the major airports around the world, including: Beijing Capital International, Tokyo International, O’Hare International and JFK International in New York.

    This material is not about Boingo but just to demonstrate here that there is nothing we are doing in Nigeria that has not been done in other parts of the world, even in a much better way. It is the responsibility of the airport authority or owners to develop and maintain facilities at the airport, and to pick partners who can monetise the facilities so deployed. Running the airport is a major business for professionals with niche specialisation. It is therefore unconscionable to blackmail parastatals like the NCC to fund projects which are outside the provisions of the Acts establishing them or projects not originally budgeted for.

    “So, we have set our team in order, we have developed the sustainability model, so that even after the deployment, the maintenance will be very effective,” the minister said.

    Who are the we and who is deploying what and who is maintaining the facility? It is free WiFi to the unsuspecting airport user. What is the subterranean thinking behind this WiFi freebie? This, for me, looks more like a shrouded gambit leading to ill intentions.

    One is beginning to suspect that the major reason the nation is in so much financial difficulty, with many more people slipping into multidimensional poverty, is because there are so many funds going into the wrong projects where there are embedded interests.

    In which other country of the world is the telecoms regulator building WiFi at the airports?

    The NCC has been corralled for the wrong reasons and pushed beyond the confines of basic telecoms regulations. There is fear, financial and intellectual haemorrhage at the organisation because of extraneous pressure, and the system seems too conquered to complain or even cry out in pain. This regulator needs help. Urgently!

  • 2023 census: NPC to spend six dollars to count a citizen

    2023 census: NPC to spend six dollars to count a citizen

    Barring any last minute changes and subject to approval, the National Population Commission (NPC) will spend six dollars to count a citizen in the 2023 census.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports a Federal Commissioner of the NPC in Enugu State, Mr Ejike Eze made the disclosure on Sunday.

    Mr Eze disclosed that the Commission had made a proposal to that effect, while dismissing claims that the N869 billion budgeted for the 2023 census exercise was exorbitant.

    The Federal Commissioner argued that the N869 billion budget was the least when compared with the budgets of other countries for census.

    “The U.S.A. spent between 12 dollars and 15 dollars (N5,760 –N7,200) to count a citizen, while Malawi spent nine dollars (N4,320) per citizen.

    “In Nigeria, however, we are making a proposal to spend six dollars (N2,880) to count a citizen,” Eze said.

    He went further to dismiss calls for a shift in the dates of the exercise and argued that census is not the same as election where there are competitors, winners and losers.

    Eze, meanwhile, assured that the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) will not be a threat to the 2023 national population and housing census scheduled for May 3 to May 5.

    He said the group had sufficiently understood the need to allow residents to participate in the exercise to make it successful as doing otherwise would not help its cause.

    He noted that the NPC had encounters with IPOB in two local government areas of Enugu State during the demarcation of the areas preparatory to the headcount, but the intervention by government resolved the issues.

    “IPOB has on its own embarked on advocacy to encourage people to participate in the census.

    “We have been able to engage IPOB to convince it that its agitation requires information that the census would provide,’’ Eze said.

  • 2023 census: We won’t ask questions on religion, ethnicity – NPC

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has clarified that the 2023 Census questionnaire has no column for religion and ethnicity.

    The commission made the clarification on Friday in Kano when the National Publicity Committee on the 2023 Population and Housing Census paid an advocacy visit to Nigerian Television Authority, Kano.

    The visit was led by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Chairman of the committee and Minister of Information and Culture, represented by the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr Garba Abari.

    Speaking on the speculations that Nigerians would be asked questions on their faith and ethnic affiliation, a member of the committee, Dr Isiaka Yahaya, said the commission was not interested in such data.

    Yahaya, who is also the commission’s Director of Public Affairs, maintained that issues of religion and ethnicity being peddled on social media were mere distractions and without foundation.

    ”Since 1991 when the National Population Commission has been conducting census, we have never asked questions on ethnicity and religion.

    ”We didn’t do it in 1991, we didn’t do it in 2006 and we won’t do it now. The reason is obvious. The two issues are very sensitive and have the capacity to divert attention from the main issue of the census,” he said.

    Similarly, the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mr Osita Okechukwu, urged Nigerians not to see the census as a contest among ethnic groups.

    He said the census was only for planning purposes and not to confer  advantage on any group.

    ”For planning purposes, President Muhammadu Buhari said before he leaves office, he wants to deploy digital technology to conduct a headcount.

    ”The incoming president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed, in planning with our resources, will know exactly how many Nigerians he is planning for,” Okechukwu said.

    Abari on his part commended the authorities of NTA for playing a critical role in the sensitisation campaign for the headcount.

    He reiterated that the headcount was solely to obtain data for national development purposes and urged the media to help tackle the twin scourge of fake news and misinformation.

    The General Manager of NTA Kano, Sani Yusuf, expressed the readiness of NTA to support the sensitisation campaign on census.

    He gave an assurance that the media house would produce jingles to aid the campaign as well as provide coverage on the exercise.

    The committee also visited Pyramid FM, Kano, Radio Kano and Triumph newspapers.

  • 2023 Census: I suspect a hidden agenda – Benue Governor, Ortom

    2023 Census: I suspect a hidden agenda – Benue Governor, Ortom

    Samuel Ortom the Benue state governor has called on the Federal Government to suspend the proposed National Population Census exercise slated to hold in  May 2023.

    Ortom made the call on Wednesday when he received a delegation from the Middle Belt Forum led by its President, Dr Bitrus Pogu in Makurdi, the state capital.

    He noted that it is not yet ripe to conduct the exercise, saying he suspects a hidden agenda towards the May date that the Federal Government has chosen.

    The Governor added that if the exercise must hold, the FG should arrange for the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, to return to their homes.

    He said, “The FG should suspend the issue of the census because it looks like the proposed census is coming with an agenda.

    “So until they are able to restore security and all our IDPs return to their ancestral homes to give all of them opportunities to be counted in their homes of birth.

    “Because I understand from the National Population Commission that those to be counted must be counted in their localities”.

    The state has the worst record of herdsmen attack in the country, with thousands of persons killed within a year.

    Benue has over two million persons living in different IDPs camps across the state.

    Barely one week ago, the dreaded killer herdsmen invaded one of the IDPs’ camps and killed at least 35 persons.

  • 2023 census will be Nigeria’s best ever – NPC assures

    2023 census will be Nigeria’s best ever – NPC assures

    The National Population Commission (NPC) has assured that the 2023 National Population and Housing Census will be the best ever conducted in the history of the country.

    NPC’s Federal Commissioner in Gombe State, Mr Abubakar Danburam, stated this in Gombe on Tuesday during the inauguration of a 16- member Advocacy and Logistics Committee for the 2023 Population and Housing Census in the state.

    Danburam said with the efforts so far made by the commission as well as the digitalisation of the exercise, the 2023 census would be better than any one conducted in the nation’s history of conducting census.

    He said with the commission leveraging technology and modern approach to conducting census, there was no doubt that the 2023 exercise would be an improvement on the ones conducted in the past by the commission.

    He said the priority of NPC in conducting accurate, reliable and acceptable census was as a result of the importance of census for development planning and other interventions that would help improve citizens’ wellbeing.

    According to him, the 2023 census will address the irregularities associated with previous exercises.

    “I can remember very well the 1963 census, there were lots of irregularities due to lack of development. The 1973 census, there was little improvement compared to that of 1963.

    “Subsequent censuses came up with a lot of improvements. The current census to be conducted, from the level of demarcation, is digital.

    “It is so because we are now matured enough to use the satellite image. The satellite image was used for the demarcation and the demarcation is called the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD),” he said.

    He explained that the EAD was the foundation of the current census: “This demarcation was done meticulously and neatly. Every part of this country has been demarcated, no leftover, no overlap.

    “This is giving us all the assurance that the census to be conducted will be digital and hopefully the best census conducted so far in this country.”

    While inaugurating the 16-man Committee, Manassah Jatau, the Deputy Governor of Gombe State who doubles as the chairman of the committee, said the 2023 census would provide vital information about the socio-economic variables of the nation’s population.

    Jatau advised the commission to take proactive measures to curb the threat of manipulation during the exercise as the NPC was working to conduct a credible census that would meet best global practice.

    “The digital census is most likely to eliminate previous bottlenecks such as political, religious and cultural sentiments associated with accurate census in the country over the years.

    “However, we should note that it is human beings that control and sometimes manipulate these machines that were meant for ease of carrying out tasks, jobs more accurately, with great precision,” he said.

    To his committee members, the chairman said their duty was to enlighten, sensitise and get the support of residents of Gombe State towards the successful conduct of the exercise in May.

  • Postponement of elections will delay 2023 census – NPC

    Postponement of elections will delay 2023 census – NPC

    Nasir Kwarra,  the Chairman of the National Population Commission, has explained that the commencement of the 2023 national housing and population census, earlier slated for March 29, is likely to be affected by the postponement of the 2023 gubernatorial and National Assembly election in the country.

    Kwarra  made this known while speaking at a meeting with the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, Ms Ulla Mueller, in Abuja on Friday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that INEC announced the postponement of gubernatorial and State Assembly election by one week.

    The election originally fixed for March 11 will now hold on the 18th of March 2023.

    As a result, the NPC chairman said he would consult with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buahri (retd.), on a suitable date for the national census to begin as no date specific date had been assigned for it.

    On her part, the Resident Representative pledged the support of the UNFPA in ensuring the success of the exercise.

    She, however, explained that the conduct of a post-enumeration survey would also give credibility to the census and reiterated the significance of the exercise to the attainment of the sustainable development goal

    To show support of the post-enumeration survey, the UNFPA presented sixteen high-capacity computers for the conduct of the survey.