Ugo Aliogo
In its bid to create viable opportunities despite the growing population, the Lagos state government in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Access Corporation and HACEY, launched its first demographic dividend roadmap and estimation profile.
This was even as the government noted that the launch of the roadmap will boost credible data collection in terms of population growth, investment, employment, governance, skill development and migration.
Speaking in his welcome address in Lagos yesterday, the Special Adviser to the Governor, Economic Planning and Budget, Aare Adebayo Sodade, said the launch of the Lagos State Demographic Dividend Roadmap and Profile is intended to air out new thinking in optimum operation management while adding that this is line with international best practices to ensure that human capital, growth and development are on the front burner of socio-economic plans, programs and project.
“The demographic dividend estimation profile is intended to identify the logical potential that can be harnessed by countries during a period of demographic transition. It is a long look through the window of opportunity and their use depends on several aspects like economic institutional condition of states, operations of the financial sector, family behavior amongst others.
African leaders have already expressed willingness of their countries to carry out actions for the realization of the demographic dividend. Thus, Nigeria has commenced the process of reaping its economic potential with the development of roadmaps that will assist in realization of the demographic dividend, ”Sodade said.
Corroborating him, the Head of Sustainability at Access Bank, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, said it is very important to harness demographic dividend for Lagos residents and Nigerians as a whole while adding that data is something Nigeria needs to improve on.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, HACEY Health Initiative, Rhoda Robinson, HACEY has spent over 15 years working actively in the development space to ensure that the underserved population, especially women and young people achieved and are partakers of development and are not overlooked from the grand scheme of things.
