The disclosure by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs that Nigeria’s population will reach 216 million people in November this year should worry the nation’s economic planners. This was revealed during the commemoration of this year’s World Population Day.
With the UN prediction, Nigeria will become the 6th fastest growing population in the world. This represents an increase of 132 million in 32 years (1990-2022). The projection that Nigeria’s population will hit 375 million in 2050, making it the 4th most populous country in the world is perplexing.
Nigerian population, the report says, is growing too fast and needs all necessary measures to put it in check. It also predicted that India would surpass China as the world’s most populous nation. Currently, India’s population stands at 1.412 billion people, compared to China’s 1.426billion. Apart from Nigeria, other countries projected to have population explosion in the nearest future include, Pakistan and the Philippines. Countries in Africa that would also experience rise in population are DR Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
As projected, these countries would account for more than half of the global population by the year 2050. The report indicated that the world’s population would rise to 8.5billion in 2030; 9.7billion in 2050, and 10.4billion in 2080. Within the projected period, the sub-Saharan Africa is expected to contribute more than half of the figure to become world’s most populated region.
Expectedly, concerns have been raised by economic experts over Nigeria’s rising population and its implications. Ordinarily, population growth ought to be an asset to a nation. For instance, China and India have used their big populations to develop their countries. Nigeria can do so if the government can provide jobs for millions of unemployed Nigerians.
However, that is not the case for Nigeria. At four per cent annual growth, Nigeria›s population growth has become a socioeconomic burden. With an annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of 1.5 per cent, the population is outpacing real economic development.
A significant number of the population is uneducated and unproductive. Rising poverty, unemployment and inequality and cultural norms have made birth control difficult in some parts of the country. The rise in population has come with growing unemployment among the youths.
Unfortunately, the government has not been able to address the rising unemployment put at over 35 per cent by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). It has also not been forthcoming with social interventions to ameliorate mass poverty and joblessness.
With a steadily rising population, Nigeria might experience worsening insecurity, food security challenges, hunger, housing deficit and poor health care system. Even with the present population estimated at slightly over 200 million, Nigeria is daily grappling with the aforementioned challenges. Moreover, the nation’s high fertility rate, put at 5.3 per cent as against the global fertility rate of 2.5 per cent, has not helped matters.
Undoubtedly, Nigeria’s growing population is a ticking time bomb that must be checked before it explodes with dire consequences. The recent UN report shows that the looming global hunger will be exacerbated by rising population. The grim report also says that about 670 million people or eight per cent of the world’s population will be affected by hunger in 2030. This is the time to put measures in place to check the nation’s rising population.
If the nation’s rising population is not controlled, it will be difficult for the government to curb poverty, hunger and malnutrition. The situation will further increase the number of the nation’s out-of-school children, estimated to be over 10.5 million. Government should embark on enlightenment campaigns on the need for birth control among the citizens. It can do this in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), community and religious leaders across the 774 local government areas. The birth control messages must be in English, Pidgin and major Nigerian languages.
Additionally, the government can create the enabling environment for industries and businesses, which will grow the economy and create jobs, to thrive. Since the youths constitute about 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population, the government should leverage on their resourcefulness to grow the economy and create more jobs by providing them with enablers that will make them become entrepreneurs and business owners.