Nigeria: The Concern Over Population Explosion

THE seeming national debate of late on the rising population of Nigeria, and concern over its implications for development and security is healthy. It is equally in tandem with global interest over the issue, which has necessarily become important in terms of size and composition. Ultimately, government should fathom out an appropriate policy from the debates, such that the country’s resources can be harnessed to meet the demand of its exploding human constituents.

Even the president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had cause  to express his  dissatisfaction with the  growth rate of Nigeria’s  population,  which the  2011 Human Development Report of the United Nations  Development Programme (UNDP)  puts  at 2.5 per cent, even as some put it at  about 3.2 per cent. Similarly, the nation has grown from 140 million strong according to the 2006 national census, to 167 million according to the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). Indeed, the CIA World Fact book estimates Nigeria’s population to be more than 170million as at July 2012. At the present rate, the population of Nigeria is projected by the UNDP to hit 257.8 million by the year 2030. These figures must have alarmed Dr. Jonathan enough to, at the inauguration of the chairman and commissioners of the National Population Commission, hint at a plan to legislate some form of population control.

There are good reasons that a nation must manage its population vis-à-vis its resources in order to remain secure. Population surely has far-reaching implications for change, development and the quality of life. A nation with more mouths than it can feed is condemned to be at the mercy of other nations. Food insecurity is, for individuals as for nations, the most serious form of insecurity. Besides, a large population may overburden health, education, power, transportation and other critical infrastructure that are sine-qua-non for the development of the human resource that, in turn, is the key to national development and progress. A shortage of the basic necessities of life causes social unrest and threatens peace and stability. For these and other reasons, the rate of population growth is a social, economic, and political issue that need be of concern to the government and the governed. However, to begin to compare Nigeria with such countries as China and India is misplaced, without alluding to other resources available to the country and the prospect of harnessing them.  For a landmass of  nearly a million square kilometres, blessed with a  large mass of arable  land and  a wide variety  of flora and fauna, as well as  many minerals in commercial  quantities,  Nigeria is most endowed  to support  the  present population and  make the best of it.  And here lies the crux of the matter.

China, with about ten times Nigeria’s population does not import food for its teeming citizens; Nigeria not only does import food but such food items as rice and palm oil that it can perfectly produce.  Nigeria ranks high among the oil producing countries but  stands miserably  low on the  human development  scale: Nigeria’s level of unemployment  i.e. putting  citizens  to productive, wealth-creating  work remains intolerably high. The point is simple and clear: there is enough in the land for every citizen if the resources are equitably shared and opportunities are allowed by those entrusted to manage the affairs of the nation. The problem, therefore, is not so much with a rising population as the misappropriation, nay, the brazen theft of the commonwealth by a cabal in politics, government, business, and other sectors of society.

The point needs to be made too that a large population can be an asset or a burden. On the one hand, a large trained, skilled and productive population produces goods and services that meet the needs of the large internal market, and surplus for export. The local economy can only be the better for it. Again China with its billion plus population is a good example. So is the United States that is about twice Nigeria in population. On the other hand, a large poorly educated, unskilled, and unproductive population is unemployable and is a body of unemployed consumers of food and other necessities of life. It is a time bomb waiting to explode. In sum, the president should concern himself less with the growing population; and more with creating an environment conducive for the people to be productive and useful to themselves and their country. In any case, legislating birth control is less likely to be effective — for reasons that include cultural attitudes and religious values — than public education and enlightenment.

4 Comments on "Nigeria: The Concern Over Population Explosion"

Kenz300 on Sun, 16th Sep 2012 1:56 pm 



Every country needs to develop a plan to balance its population with its resources, food, water, energy and jobs. Those that do not will be exporting their populations and their problems. If you can not provide for yourself you can not provide for a child.

Access to family planning services needs to be available to all that want it. Every problem is harder to solve with an ever growing population. Endless population growth is not sustainable.

BillT on Sun, 16th Sep 2012 3:25 pm 



“… On the other hand, a large poorly educated, unskilled, and unproductive population is unemployable and is a body of unemployed consumers of food and other necessities of life. It is a time bomb waiting to explode…”

This is what is happening in the US as the education system deteriorates and skills are not taught. American’s are becoming unemployable by the millions. How many years are we from being another Nigeria?

DC on Sun, 16th Sep 2012 7:21 pm 



At least the issue is being discussed, even if its the old ‘ There is enough for everyone if only the evil gov’t and its cronies would stop keeping most of it for themselves’. There may be some truth in that, not just in Nigeria, but everywhere. But of course, this writer is saying, population is a problem *but* everything would be fine if we’d all just share.

Ok fine, but at what point, even if that utopian ideal where to come about. What then? Do you allow the population to keep ballooning now that everyone is making nice and sharing? Will 300 million Niger’s sharing the wealth be ok? 400 million? Where does it stop….

Its funny that Nigeras 2.5% growth rate is considered ‘alarming'(and it is), but amerikas 1% growth rate is not. Nor does this writer seem aware that over 2/3s of India is malnourished in some way, and China is buying up farmland, in Africa of all places, to feed its swollen population. Chinas margin is razor-thin and India is basket case. Must not have internet @ the Nigeria Guardian or they would know all this.

Arthur on Sun, 16th Sep 2012 9:14 pm 



Nigeria, Egypt, India, Bangladesh… these countries will be the first to suffer terminally once the West will ‘fold’ financially, or will run out of oil after the start of WW3 and the economy will collapse.

There will come a time where daddy will prefer NOT to watch the eight o’clock news.