The World Population Day, which was established by the then-Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989, is observed annually on 11 July with the aim of keeping the world’s mind on the significance of pondering over fast rising population and dwindling resources on the planet.
According to the projection of the United Nations Population Fund, Nigeria’s population will hit 211.4 million by the end of 2021 while an unemployment rate will reach 32.5 percent, which is equivalent to 68,705,000 in the same year. By 2030, Nigeria is predicted to become the fifth most populous nation in the world, behind China, India, the USA and Pakistan. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo recently said, “We are to become the world’s third most populous nation by 2050. Of this population, over 60% will be young people”.
Additionally, according to the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive Maternal and Child Health (RMCH), the population of Nigeria will double to 400 million by 2050, adding that the country’s population is projected to reach 260 million by 2030. The most needed is that Nigeria must take advantage of its overwhelmingly youthful population.
Nigeria’s 134 polytechnics and 174 universities produce about 600,000 graduates every year and virtually 25 million are said to be unemployed across the country at the moment though President Muhammadu Buhari estimated them at over 20 million two years ago. These infuriated job-seekers will definitely turn against the three tiers of government or be lost in the world of crimes as long as the FG and state governments fail to create meaningful employment for them.
Earlier this year, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said the number of out-of-school children stands at 10.1 million as more than 3 million were increased on the last year figure. Recently, UNICEP also pointed out that one in every five of the world’s out-of-school children is in Nigeria. Even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, about 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school. Only 61 percent of 6-11 year-olds regularly attend primary school and 35.6 percent of children aged 36-59 years receive early childhood education. These menaces have to do with gender disparity, poverty, socio-cultural norms and so on.
On the other hand, women are the primary caretakers of children and determiners of the next generations and the backbone for a progressing nation. In Nigeria, these women encounter rampant divorce, abject poverty, lack of financial empowerment, miserable widowhood, lack of access to quality education, gender disparity and domestic violence. Nigeria should be pushed to walk with its two legs by empowering women in terms of educational rights. An American actress, filmmaker and humanitarian said, “There is no greater pillar of stability than a strong, free and educated woman.”
It is vital for the three tiers of government to create public awareness on the significance of child birth spacing across the country, especially in rural areas of the North where unknowingly look upon the child birth spacing as act which is against Islam. The reality is that they may not know that the prophet’s companions practiced “’Azl” during his time and he didn’t forbid it. The word “’Azl” is an Arabic word that refers to ejaculation of a man’s semen outside his wife’s vagina after sexual penetration but before the organism. I pity those who object to child birth spacing and ultimately be questioned about their failure to provide proper upbringing for their children on the Day of Judgment. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said,” Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock…”. Thus, parents will definitely be interrogated about their children’s responsibilities placed on their shoulders on the Day of Resurrection.
It is unobjectionable that high population is the leading cause of extreme poverty and hunger in Nigeria accompanied by cancerous corruption. According to the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (GMPI) measurement, 46 out of every 100 people live in extreme poverty in Nigeria. The Global Citizen Nigeria vice chairman Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuele said, “Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world. We must create multiple entry points to allow local and global influencers to come together and make a difference”. Mr. Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, former UN Under-Secretary-General said, “We cannot confront the massive challenges of poverty, hunger, disease and environmental destruction unless we address issues of population and reproductive health”.
In his Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2021, PMB said,” In the last two years, we lifted 10.5 million people out of poverty-farmers, small-scale traders, artisans, market women and the like.” Three days after his speech, the World Bank said, “Food prices accounted for over 60% of the total increase in inflation. Rising prices have pushed an estimated 7 million Nigerians below the poverty line in 2020 alone”.
Ultimately, how the three tiers of government and the masses handle the issue of Nigeria’s fast growing population is the problem and threat, not overpopulation itself. The country should replicate China by making its high population a very productive one or taking advantage of it. This is an ultimate solution to this nail-biting menace because in a tenacious religious and cultural country like Nigeria, compelling spouses to give birth to two or three children per mother could be very hard-hitting and create riots. Creating public awareness about child birth spacing cannot be underestimated. The federal state governments should spare no efforts to set up industries, accelerate agriculture, engage graduates actively in agriculture and embark upon massive investment in women and girls. There is also a dire need for the federal government to invigorate the Agency of the Great Green Wall so as to continue combating terrifying desertification.
Baba Azare writes from Alkali Musa Street, Bauchi state via 08149712150.
