Implement Nigeria’s population policy to prevent disaster, CSOs urge Tinubu

The Population Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on the newly elected president, Bola Tinubu, to commence the implementation of the national population policy.

The National President of PAN, Rhoda Mundi, made the call Thursday while delivering the University of Abuja’s 41st inaugural lecture titled ‘The paradox of population growth in national development.’

Ms Mundi, a professor of geography with specialisation in population and development said the new government must prioritise every policy to curb the country’s growing population.

She said the implementation of the population policy will ensure Nigeria reverses the trend of insecurity, unemployment, and dwindling economic fortunes.

She noted that Nigeria’s population trajectory which will take the nation to over 400 million by 2050 is a disaster waiting to happen.

“To solve the population paradox, it is imperative for Nigeria to accurately determine its population and implement measures to intentionally create a productive and manageable population,” she said.

“This will enable effective national planning and the realisation of the country’s development objectives.”

National population policy

To address the burgeoning population growth in Nigeria, former, President Muhammadu Buhari in February 2022 launched the revised national policy on population for sustainable development.

The policy aims to improve the life and standard of living for all Nigerians through population control. It also stresses the need for urgent measures to address Nigeria’s high fertility rate, through expanding access to modern contraceptive methods across the country.

Experts, however, said the country is yet to commence implementation of the policy.

Nigeria’s population

Although there are no up-to-date data on the exact population of Nigeria, the United Nations population agency (UNFPA) estimates that Nigeria’s population stands at 216 million.

Various projections show that if the country continues in its current direction, there will be a 100 per cent increase in its population by 2050, to about 400 million people.

Ms Mundi said Nigeria’s population has been growing at an alarming rate as a result of several reasons including early marriage and low use of contraceptives.

“Given the current rate of growth, Nigeria’s population will double in the coming years. Unfortunately, there are no up-to-date data on the population size, distribution, and characteristics to guide planning,” she said.

Proposed national census

The Nigerian government earlier announced plans to conduct a population and housing census in May 2023, but was later postponed indefinitely. The last census conducted in the country was in 2006.

The 2023 census manager and director of the National Population Commission (NPC), Inuwa Jalingo, said the census was postponed due to the government’s transition programme and the post-election mood in the country at the time.

While delivering her lecture, Ms Mundi said the government must provide funds and seek assistance from relevant development partners for the conduct of the census.

She said there is also a need to strengthen other sources of demographic data collection for evidence-based planning.

Funding family planning

Ms Mundi said it is imperative for the new government to also provide adequate funding for family planning and collaborate with subnational governments to ensure a productive population that will drive national growth.

She said although the population in itself is not a negative challenge, “where more people are pursuing less economic opportunities, the likelihood for banditry, criminality, and backwardness will spell doom for the country if left unchecked.”

She explained that investing in health will translate to investing in the quality of the population for a healthier and more focused workforce with lower morbidity and mortality.

Ms Mundi emphasised the need for collaborative efforts at the national and subnational levels to address the challenges posed by the country’s increasing population.

“This is particularly important given the country’s current situation as a young democracy still in the process of development,” she said.

In his remark, the Director of Projects at the development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), Stanley Ukpai, highlighted the opportunity presented to the new administration in this fiscal year to continue to build upon the policy processes established through the FP 2030 recommitment and the FP blueprint.

Mr Ukpai said this would ensure adequate and sustainable financing for family planning at all levels and consolidate the previous government’s efforts toward this crucial goal.

“Achieving FP 2030 policy recommitments is also a cardinal strategy for implementing the population policy which has strong correlations with poverty reduction and sustainable economic development more broadly,” he said.

Given the recent effort for economic recovery, he said Nigeria can do well to prioritise investment in family planning as a strategic course of action.

Inaugural lecture

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of UniAbuja, Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, said Nigeria stands to gain a lot from the inaugural lecture.

Mr Na’Allah, who was also the chairman of the event, said despite the population growth being witnessed in the country, productivity continues to fall.

“As far as I am concerned, I don’t see population as a crisis,” he said.

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“Everybody needs to work. At least each person will produce what three persons will eat. If you work at your maximum, each person should be able to produce what three people or four will eat.”

He commended Ms Mundi for the inaugural lecture which he said will impact Nigeria positively.

He noted that the university will henceforth roll out inaugural lectures as part of the institution’s contribution to society.