It has become glaring to all stakeholders in every sector
of the Nigerian economy that the Nigerian huge population, which supposed to
serve as strength to the nation, has the tendency to sabotage government policies
on economic growth and development.
According to the 2018 National Demographic and Health
Survey (NDHS) report, if fertility were to remain constant at current levels, a
woman in
Nigeria would bear an average of 5.3 children in her
lifetime.
While fertility is low among adolescents (107 births
per 1,000 women), the report revealed that it peaks at 256 births per 1,000
among women aged from 25
to 59 years and fertility is higher among rural women
than among urban women. On average, rural women will give birth to about 1.4
children more than urban women during their reproductive years (5.9 And 4.5,
respectively).
Meanwhile, family planning which refers to a conscious
effort by a couple to limit or space the number of children they have through
the use of contraceptive methods like female sterilisation, male
sterilisation, the intrauterine contraceptive device
(IUD), implants, injectables, the pill, condoms, and
the lactational amenorrhoea method (LAM), has not been fully utilised by
couples.
According to the NDHS report, only 17 per cent of currently
married women use a method of family planning, with 12 per cent using a modern
method and five per cent using a traditional method.
Among currently married women, the most popular methods
are implants, injectables, and withdrawal
(Each used by 3 per cent), followed by male condoms
(used by 2 per cent).
The contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) among married
women vary with age, rising from 3 per cent among women age 15 to 19 to a peak of 23 per cent among women age 35 to 39 before declining to
13 per cent among women age 45-49.
The implication of this, according to stakeholders
is that tough times await Nigerians due to an impending population explosion.
Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin
Emefiele said Nigeria’s population would hit 425 million
in 2050, the third largest in the world, unless urgent steps were taken to
control it.
Emefiele, who painted a gloomy picture of Nigeria in
comparison with other countries said the impending population explosion of Nigeria
and attendant economic implications would create tough times for Nigerians.
He said with the rapid population on a yearly basis and a penchant for sabotaging government policies on economic growth and development,
there would be a serious crisis if serious actions were not taken to control
population growth.
The National Population Commission (NPC), Mr.
Eze Duruiheoma had said that Nigeria remains the
most populous in Africa, the seventh globally.
According to him, the recent World Population Prospects
predicts that by 2050, Nigeria will become the third most populated country in
the world.
Yet, the explosion in Nigeria’s population has not been
commensurate with resources available in the country, hence, the need for
Nigerians to embrace family planning says Duruiheoma.
The minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, said universal
access to family planning is a human right and a key factor in reducing poverty
and attaining the Sustainable Development Goals.
Adewole said with the current Nigerian population of
over 190 million people, efforts have to be made to create awareness of
moderate family size nationwide, especially in rural areas.
He, however, called on all stakeholders to create more
awareness of the need for Nigerians to embrace family planning.
A family planning facilitator, Mrs. Abiola Adekoya,
said family planning, when adopted by Nigerians, would
reduce maternal mortality, help in preventing unwanted pregnancies and as well,
help in curbing Nigeria’s population explosion.
Adekoya, who has administered family planning on lots
of women, especially in her community at
Agboyi Ketu said family planning has been impactful
to a lot of women in her community.
“If everybody adopts it; if there is male
involvement, sensitisation programmes in churches, mosques, markets, our policy
makers, it will go a long way in averting the huge population.
“The issue of abortion is reducing because people are
aware of it; adolescents who cannot keep themselves are often advised to go for
family planning instead of abortions.
“Parents should be able to counsel their children, they
should be able to tell them the reasons why they should face their studies and
keep themselves.
But the adolescent that cannot do it, it is better
we counsel them on family planning only if they tell their parents”, she said.
This article was adapted from the Media Advocacy Working Group Family Being Column in Leadership Newspaper
This article was adapted from the Media Advocacy Working Group Family Being Column in Leadership Newspaper
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