National Population Commission Awaits Buhari’s Approval to Conduct Census in 2022

The National Population Commission (NPC) has said that it is awaiting President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval to conduct a national census by the first quarter of 2022.

The Federal Commissioner and Chairman of the Public Affairs Committee of the Commission, Mr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa, while featuring on ‘The Morning Show,’ a breakfast programme on ARISE NEWS Channel, THISDAY’s broadcast arm, said NPC was strategising and working hard to ensure that the mistakes of the past were corrected by conducting an accurate and reliable census.

He stated that Buhari recently approved N10 billion intervention fund to enable the commission to carry out the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) of the country.

According to him, the demarcation, a prelude to the conduct of the national census, is gaining momentum nationwide.

He said the commission was targeting to complete the enumeration by July.

Durunguwa added that with the approval of the intervention fund, NPC has demarcated 629 local government areas.

“So far by God’s grace, with the programme of the commission, we hope to ensure that before the end of July, that we are able to demarcate the entire country and to conveniently conduct the national census.

“We are hoping that by the time we finish the demarcation, which is the foundation of the census, we will be able to say yes, we are good to go and by the first quarter of 2022, honestly speaking, the NPC based on preparations on the ground, can be able to conveniently conduct a census in this country provided that Mr. President has given us the approval through a proclamation that the census should commence.

“We are pleading with all Nigerians to give us the support so that we can see if we can conduct this census by 2022; that is the first quarter. That is our target.

“We hope the government and Mr. President will give us the go-ahead so that we can carry out this exercise,” he said.

Durungowa explained that the enumeration of the local government areas would help the commission to have a proper picture of how many census enumerators would be deployed in the coming national census.