*Urges Nigerians to embrace idea of smaller family to boycott ravaging poverty
Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
Transparency International in Nigeria and Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) have described Nigeria’s population which is projected to reach 400 million by 2050 as a demographic nightmare.
The Executive Director, CISLAC/Head of TI in Nigeria, Auwal Rafsanjani, stated this in Abuja during a Nigeria population conversation seminar organised by Population Matters in partnership with CISLAC/TI-Nigeria.
He noted that while population affects every facet of societal development, discussion around it remains uncommon in Nigeria.
He said time has come for Nigerians to begin to embrace the idea of smaller families to boycott ravaging poverty, youth unemployment, child mortality and other socio-economic upheavals.
Rafsanjani added that Nigeria cannot conceal the fact that with the current inadequate awareness on consequences of population at citizenry and policy levels as well as the unattended impact on national planning, the country has not efficiently harnessed its population to achieve development goals.
He said, “In addition to the general leading causes of under-five mortality, studies have highlighted the survival probabilities, the impact of socio-economic, demographic and environmental factors as major threats to the survival of under-five mortality in Nigeria.
“While a significant function of girl-child education in Nigeria is to provide her with diverse basic knowledge, skills, and training which contribute to personal development and the overall national development, more than 50 per cent of girls are not attending school at the basic education level, while one million girls drop out between the first and last year of primary school (UNICEF).
“In addition, Nigeria accounts for 20 percent of all out-of-school children in sub-Saharan Africa, with nearly 20 million out-of-school children (Malala Fund).”
Rafsanjani hinted further that “Likewise in Nigeria, about 53.40 per cent of youths are unemployed according to youth unemployment rates released by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2022.”
