Director-General, Institute for National Transformation (INT), Prof.
Vincent Anigbogu, has predicted that Nigeria’s population would be 350
million by 2050.
He said no fewer than 189 million people would be added to the current
population of the country in the next 32 years. The INT, who delivered a paper titled “Ensuring Nigeria’s Present and Future Prosperity: The Need for Purposeful Human Capital
Development,” at this year’s edition of annual International Leadership Symposium of the Ooni Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, said for Nigeria to survive the population explosion, its economic growth must outpace population growth.
The event was held at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, to mark the 44th birthday of Oba Ogunwusi. He maintained that the major factor for Nigeria to survive and create
wealth which will take care of the needs of her people is to develop its human capacity. “Knowledge and skills have become the global currency of 21st century
economies, but there is no central bank that prints this currency. Every (nation) has to decide on their own how much they will print. Sure, it’s great to have oil, gas, diamonds and all the mineral
deposits in the world; they can buy jobs, but they will weaken your society in the long run unless they ‘re used to build schools and a
culture of lifelong learning,” he said.
He called on government at all tiers to ensure that “Nigeria’s present and future prosperity is secured by using natural resources of the country as catalysts for purposeful human capital development.”
Speaking at the event, Ondo state Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, commended Oba Ogunwusi for his leadership qualities. “Though Ooni didn’t tell me when we met yesterday that he would be celebrating his birthday today, you have dignified the throne of Oduduwa with your actions since ascending the throne. Yoruba race is proud of you. You have carried this office with dignity. All of us are proud of you,” he said.
