The federal government has shifted the population and housing census earlier scheduled for March 29 to a later date in May.
The minister of information and culture, Lai Mohammed, made this known at the end of the federal executive council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday.
He also also disclosed that 2.8 billion naira has been approved for the procurement of software for the National Population Commission.
Speaking further, Mohammed told State House correspondents that the decision was necessitated by the rescheduling of the gubernatorial election to March 18.
“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 because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled,” the minister said.
“They sought Council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion.”
He also said that the council approved the sum of N2.8 billion for the National Population Commission (NPC) to procure software to be used for the conduct of 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 because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled,” the minister said.
“They sought Council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion.”
