Rising population can be controlled through population education
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigeria’s rising population, now estimated at 201 million amid dwindling oil income and high unemployment, is of great concern to Abuja and it is canvassing policies to prevent what it fears as a time bomb.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, gave the warning in Abuja at the launch of A Sociology for Medical Practice, a book written by Manassah Jatau, retired Deputy Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NIS).
Mustapha said Nigeria is expected to become the third most populous nation on earth in a couple of decades when the country cannot even address the current needs of its youths who are grappling with more than 35 per cent unemployment rate.
“Given one or two decades from now, Nigeria will become the third most populous country, coming after China and India. There is an urgent need for us to begin to plan for this increase,” he said.
Right now, he added, the federal government is dealing with the youth population and “we have not been able to provide solutions to some of the complaints in the country.”
He also pitched the need for the introduction of traditional medicine to reduce the level at which Nigerians go to other countries for medical treatment.
NCS Assistant Comptroller-General Adewale Adeniyi commended Jatau for writing the book, stressing that health and environmental matters cannot be over-emphasised.
Rising population can be controlled through education on natural family planning which does not involve artificial contraception or abortion.
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Overpopulation breeds poverty
Nairametrics reiterates that Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun led states with the highest internally generated (IGR) revenue per population in the first half of 2021 (H1 2021), according to dated released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The South West has the highest IGR per capita with an aggregate revenue of N385.41 billion, meaning N8,575 per person. The zone grew revenue 37.3 per cent in H1 2021 compared with N6,243 in H1 2020.
The South South is second with an average N4,626.99 revenue per individual in H1 2021, an 8.8 per cent increase on N4,253 in H1 2020, followed by the North Central with N3,745.83.