The National Population Commission says the 2023 Census exercise was postponed not cancelled.

Hon. Federal Commissioner, NPC, in charge of Kogi State, Professor Isah Jimoh Habitat stated this at a Luncheon meeting for Media Executives in Lokoja.

Professor Habitat said the decision by the immediate past Federal Government administration was necessitated by the need to give the Commission for time to conclude it’s training of personnel and improve on its logistics hence the development.

” Postponement and Cancellation are two different things, the excerise was postponed to give room for restrategising in the area of training and logistics”

According to him, the Commission is working assiduously and putting necessary logistics as well as training of enumerators that are pivotal to the success of the Census in place to achieve the best result as soon as possible.

He called on the general public to sustain thier cooperation with the Commission to achieve set goals.

The Federal Commissioner expressed appreciation to the Media in Kogi State for it’s sustained partnership and collaboration with the Commission to achieve the desired results.

In his opening remark, the State Director of the Commission, Mr. Ojo Abiodun Titus said the objective of the Luncheon was to interact with various Executives of the existing media organisations in Kogi State in a bid to keep the public abreast of development after the postponement of the exercise.

Mr. Ojo said the programme also afford the Commission the opportunity to further strengthen the existing relationship with the Media.

According to him, consultations are ongoing to get a new date for the exercise as soon as possible.

In his goodwill message to the occasion, the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Evangelist Kingsley Fanwo assured of the unflinching support of the State Government to the success of the exercise.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Teddy Adegbola, Evangelist Fanwo said all necessary resources will be deployed in support of the Commission to achieve success.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Graphic Newspaper, Mr. Adekolade Dele Samuel, General Manager, Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Lokoja, Alhaji Yahaya Adams and the Director-General, Kogi State Broadcasting Corporation, Alhaji Ojo Oyila Ozovehe all pledged the support of the media houses to the success of the exercise in Kogi State.

They called for sustain engagement between the Commission, the media and the public to achieve set goals.

Also in a message to the occasion, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Comrade Adeiza Momohjimoh equally pledged the support of journalists in the State to the success of Census 2023.

Media Executives and organisations including online Journalists attended the occasion among whom is the publisher and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of ” The Trumpet” Comrade Olusegun Ayindero-Oyenibi