President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) has launched a Revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development, even as he inaugurated the National Council on Population Management.
Speaking on the country’s revised population policy in Abuja, the President said its overall goal was to improve the quality of life and standards of living of all Nigerians, which was one of the major aspirations of his administration. He also stressed the need for urgent measures to address Nigeria’s high fertility rate, through expanding access to modern contraceptive methods across the country.
He said: “The Revised Population Policy is rich with all necessary information that will guide the implementation of Nigeria’s Mid-term and Perspective Development Plan. It will further address concerns of the large population of young people who are our pride, our future and assets to drive our development efforts.”
He added: “The policy emphasizes the urgency to address Nigeria’s sustained high fertility rate, through expanding access to modern family planning, counselling and commodities as well as promoting birth spacing. This will enable Nigeria to achieve rapid fertility control, improve the health of women, adolescents, newborns and children, and other population groups.”
The President revealed that Nigeria’s population, which was the largest in Africa, seventh globally and among the few whose fertility is still growing, was hinged on a youthful population, with more than 72 percent of them being below 30 years while half of the female population are in their reproductive years (15-49 years).
“These levels have implications for sustained population growth and narrowed prospects to achieving population management, facilitating sufficient demographic transition, harnessing our demographic endowment and eventually realizing sustainable development,” he said.
