PM extends census deadline again.

The exercise, which started nationwide on April 24, 2026, was initially programmed to end on May 29, 2026, but was pushed by the PM to July 31, 2026. 

In the decision, the PM has ordered the setting up of a nationwide complementary mop-up period for the joint enumeration operations of the 4th general census; from August 1, 2026, to September 15, 2026.

The mop-up operation, the Prime Minister’s decision explained, aims to finalise the enumeration operations by strengthening the coverage of households, individuals, and agricultural holdings across.

He said it is in order to guarantee the completeness of the joint enumeration operations of the 4th general census. 

He has instructed various census teams through the decision, to complete the full identification of all households not yet identified, search for and count households, individuals, and agricultural holdings not yet counted and verify and validate complete geographical coverage.

PM Dion Ngute also instructed the intensification of communication and awareness-raising actions to increase public support for census operations as well as implement all necessary measures for the satisfactory completion and exhaustive coverage of enumeration operations nationwide.

He detailed that the mop-up operations shall be conducted under the supervision of administrative authorities within their respective areas of command. 

He urged Governors, Senior Divisional Officers, SDOs; and Divisional Officers, DOs; to mobilise mayors, traditional rulers, neighbourhood and village leaders, as well as community leaders, to facilitate census agents access to compound and to sensitise the population to warmly welcome the census teams.

Throughout the duration of the mop-up period, he said any person residing within the national territory is required to answer questions posed by census agents.

The PM also tasked ministers responsible for planning, agriculture, livestock, fisheries, finance, and territorial administration to each execute the order. 

The ongoing census, it should be said, is holding over 20 years after the last census of November 2005. 

The deadline extension, twice, comes amidst a series of complaints from across the country on the unfolding of the activity. 

Many inhabitants had voiced out complaints that the census kits are not properly working in many localities. Questions had also been posed on the seriousness of the census. 

The timing of the census, during the rainy season, many had also said, is a major drawback to the vital activity. 

This, others had said, was coupled with the poor nature of roads in most parts of the country that makes access to several localities difficult or even impossible. 

The start of the census during school period, others had advanced, made things difficult for enumerators, as many pupils and students who would have readily made themselves available were occupied with academic activities. 

Another major impediment to the census was the sit-down strike by many enumerators, prior to the first extension, over complaints of delay in payment of their allowances. 

Enumerators had staged a protest, demanding the payment of their allowances. The placard-carrying disgruntled agents staged the demonstration in many towns across the country. 

Many of the frustrated census agents had accused authorities of failing to respect financial commitments, made to them before the launch of the nationwide operation on April 24, 2026. 

Demonstrators had said many of them had undergone nearly two months of training, deployed to the field; but without receiving the allowances promised them.

Many had hoped the hybrid nature of the census, with use of digital approach involving tablet-based data collection, satellite imagery, and aerial surveillance, particularly for hard-to-reach areas, would enable government to make efforts to ensure it is representative and credible to an extent. 

Government had boasted of specific strategies to access risky communities in conflict-hit areas of the country. 

Unlike traditional censuses that rely solely on door-to-door enumeration, the hybrid census, it has been said, would combine on-the-ground data collection with modern tools such as satellite imagery, administrative data, surveys, and statistical modelling. 

The approach, it was justified, is especially important in areas affected by conflict or difficult terrain, where full coverage can be challenging.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3867 of Monday August 03, 2026