No public holiday during Nigeria’s upcoming census, NPC clarifies

The National Population Commission (NPC) has announced that the upcoming census scheduled to take place between May 3 and 7, 2023, will not be accompanied by a public holiday.

The NPC emphasised that the exercise would be the first conducted digitally since the 2006 census, and that everyone living in Nigeria, including foreigners, would be counted.

The spokesperson for the NPC, Isiaka Yahaya, also noted that the government might restrict movement during the census period, but a definitive statement would be made in due course.

The NPC Director in Plateau State, Pam Dame, assured Nigerians that the census would be credible and reliable, with minimal hitches, and that technology would be employed to prevent manipulation. He urged Nigerians to cooperate with personnel during the exercise, emphasizing the importance of the census to national planning and development.

Meanwhile, the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Paul Jatau, called on the commission to conduct proper training for its officials to avoid challenges experienced during the general elections.