Nigeria and World Population Day
As World Population Day is marked today, issues related to family planning, maternal health, gender equality and related human rights issues come into focus across the globe. First marked on July 11, 1990 in more than 90 countries, the United Nations says devoting a day to population issues is vital for economic and social gains […]
As World Population Day is marked today, issues related to family planning, maternal health, gender equality and related human rights issues come into focus across the globe. First marked on July 11, 1990 in more than 90 countries, the United Nations says devoting a day to population issues is vital for economic and social gains that could propel development.
Nigeria has made some efforts to tackle population issues even though action has not matched policy formulations. For instance in 2004, the country set up a National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development (NPP) to “achieve accelerated economic growth, eradicate poverty, protect the environment and provide high-quality social services; achieve balance between population growth and available resources; and improve the reproductive health of all Nigerians.” However, over the years the funds to actualize this vision were either not released to match counterpart funds or releases were inadequate.
Data by Partnership for Advocacy on Child and Family Health (PACFaH) says in 2014 Nigeria budgeted N414.5m for family planning but nothing was released. In 2015 N624.7million was in the budget but the fund was not released. In 2016 N797.4m was set aside for the same purpose but the funds were not released. For 2017, N996m has been budgeted for the same purpose but it is not clear if government would act differently by releasing the money. The report says it is not only the Federal Government that failed to release funds budgeted for family planning. State governments do not release such funds either.
This failure to follow through on policy and budgets is already evident in this country’s rapid population growth. Our population is estimated to hit 192 million this year from 40 million people in 1950, a five-fold increase. It is predicted that by 2050 Nigeria’s population could hit 543 million and we would overtake the United States as the world’s third most populous country after China and India. Unless steps are taken to curtail this growth rate, it could increase our poverty levels and put enormous stress on our rickety educational, health and transport infrastructure.
As we mark World Population Day it is vital for Nigeria to develop the political will to address our runaway population growth rate. Based on figures from the National Bureau of Statistics, 26.8m Nigerians or 14 per cent of the population, mostly youths, are unemployed. This is not to talk of those who are underemployed. This country could be facing serious problems in the next few decades unless we change our attitude towards population control.
Government agencies vested with the task of planning and implementing policies on population control and family planning should rise to the occasion. We urge government departments and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to work hand-in-hand to ensure the successful implementation of government policies. Federal and state governments should also learn to release budgetary allocations for the execution of related projects.
We call on state governments also to ensure that their health policies are implemented. As at today, most general hospitals in Nigeria lack basic health facilities such that women in rural areas do not have access to family planning services. This shows in the rapid population growth in rural areas where unwanted pregnancies, especially among teenagers, are rampant. General hospitals and Primary Healthcare Centres should be funded and equipped with facilities for the provision of family planning services. From all indications, federal and state governments have depended largely on donor funds for the execution of family planning programmes. This is risky at a time when donor funds have begun to decline in recent times.
Since curbing population growth begins with the family, enlightenment efforts should be stepped up to educate families of the benefits of planning families and avail them of the right measures to take. All Nigerians should see the dangers of overtaking the United States in population at our current level of economic development.