Strengthening population policy for economic, security stability

President Muhammadu Buhari on Feb 3, launched the National Population Policy (NPP), designed to put the country on the path of economic and security stability through a demographic transition.

The demographic transition is the long term trend for declining birth and death rates to cause a substantive change in the age distribution of the population.

It is a strategy adopted by governments through robust population policies to put their population on the path of economic development.

Dr Ejike Oji, Chairman, Technical Management Committee Association for the Advancement of Family Planning in Nigeria (AAFP), said that reduction in birth rate is imperative for achieving demographic dividend.

Oji who identified education and family planning as major drivers of achieving demographic dividend, blamed alarming insecurity in the country on youthful bulge.

He emphasised the need for Nigeria to begin a demographic transition necessary for attaining the level of economic self-reliance among the youth.

"If a young man or woman is gainfully engaged, productive and active in the chain of production, certain crime will reduce."

Stakeholders have continued to agitate for a buoyant economy laced with greater opportunities where all the age distributions would be productive and prosperous.

They, however, say that nations could only effectively rescue their economies from doldrums of economic dependence and dislocation, through functional education.

Dr Okai Aku, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) noted that investment in education is paramount in achieving demographic dividend.

"When educated workers are actively employed and the economic environment is favourable, productivity and incomes can increase, driving a demographic dividend."

Aku contended that with a higher proportion of adults relative to children, working-age people have fewer dependents to support with the same income and assets.

This, according to him, will result to wealth creation with more resources available to invest in each child and in the economy as a whole.

Mr Isiaka Yahaya, Director of Public Affairs Department, National Population Commission (NPC) said that education is a therapy to the myriad of economic and political challenges.

Yahaya who expressed confidence in the capability of the NPP to place the country on the path of economic boom, said that education is vital in engendering family planning.

"Some of the key focus of the revised NPP is emphasis on education of Nigerian children to at least the completion of secondary school education

"Added to that is ensuring rapid fertility decline through purposeful family planning/birth spacing to accelerate rapid demographic transition."

Yahaya also identified as very necessary the political will of government to embark on investment in young people and employment in decent work to reduce youth restiveness and curtail incidences of insecurity.

Ms Margaret Eddison, Director Population Management Department, National Population Commission (NPC) described the launch of NPP as a giant leap into greater Nigeria.

Eddison said that the Revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development, which was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on June 9, 2021, is a comprehensive document.

"The document addresses all population and development concerns with an overarching goal to improve the quality of life and standard of living of the people of Nigeria."

Eddison explained that the main thrust of the policy is to reduce the population growth rate and accelerate demographic transition for the realisation of the demographic dividend using education.

According to her, it is a strategic tool guiding the implementation of national development plans.

Eddison explained that implementation of the policy is premised on an institutional framework that is clearly defined.

She said that demographic dividend gained prominence in discussions internationally as a particular way of viewing the effects of demographic changes on economic growth.

The director of population management said that it would give a boost to economic growth if investments in education and health services as well as economic policies conducive to income growth were implemented.

"While international agencies and foundations promoting family planning tend to emphasise the role of low fertility, policy makers in Africa tend to highlight the advantage of the human capital associated with a youthful population.

"In essence, population rate decline is possible through reduction in fertility rate to attain a demography where all would access quality healthcare through quality education."

Supreme reports that this is Nigeria's first launched population policy, reflecting new approval on the part of policymakers of national efforts to curb population growth.

Specifically, the policy seeks to reduce fertility from the present level of six children per family to an average of four children per family, suggests an optimum marriage age of 18 years for women and 24 years for men.

And advocates that pregnancies be restricted to the 18 to 35-year range and at intervals of two years.

With commitment, the main thrust of the policy to reduce the population growth rate and accelerate demographic transition for the realisation of the demographic dividend using education would be achieved.