Abubakar Umar, former military governor of Kaduna, has asked the Muhammadu Buhari regime to suspend the planned national population census and focus on tackling the issue of insecurity. 

In a statement on Saturday in Kaduna, Mr Umar described the planned census as shocking, especially in a country like Nigeria that is bedeviled by insecurity and in dire need of peace. 

“Nigeria is facing existential challenges epitomised by insecurity and a collapsing economy; embarking on a census would amount to a misadventure and waste of scarce resources,” Mr Umar warned.

He explained that “The decision of the FGN to have sought and gotten the approval of the National Council of State to conduct a national census in April 2023 must have come as a great shock to most well-meaning Nigerians.”

Mr Umar said that faced with such an unprecedented level of insecurity and a collapsing economy, Nigeria cannot have as one of its priorities the conduct of a national census.

“We, therefore, urge the Buhari administration to suspend what will amount to misadventure and waste of scarce national resources.

“This administration should focus all its attention on securing the nation and conducting the 2023 elections.

“A national census at this point is certainly not a priority assuming that its conduct is possible,” the former governor added. 

Meanwhile, the Council of State at a meeting in Abuja on Thursday approved a national census to be held between March and April 2023 after sixteen years.