Solutions
The solution to Nigeria's soon-to-be population explosion is three-fold:
- shift away from corruption, especially in the government
- push for education and family planning
- job creation
Shift to Uncorrupt Leaders
Cartoon of the detriment of Nigeria's leadership.
"The failure of the Nigerian leadership over many years to respond to the legitimate needs of their own young people, to have a government that promoted a meritocracy, that really understood that democracy can’t just be given lip service, it has to be delivering services to the people, has meant there is a lot of alienation in that country and others."
-Hillary Clinton (The Nation, 2010)
The government corruption in Nigeria is a huge driving force, in the wrong direction.
In order to achieve prosperity and battle poverty and unemployment in the country, Nigeria needs the "right leadership" that will promptly initiate policies that will enhance and create job opportunities especially for the jobless youth. This will settle long standing problems that have been critical to development.
But even though corruption is something difficult to prevent, careful monitoring by international organizations and the like could go a long way.
Education and Family Planning
Some communities are receiving education about child spacing.
"There is a very high unmet need for family planning. The economic
situation...has brought it home to our people that if they want their
children to be educated and well-fed, then they have to begin to do
something about children they are going to have
."
--Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Former Minister of Health, Nigeria (WorldViews, 1997)
Nigeria must support families who opt for smaller family size, with the expansion of family planning and education as cornerstones of this effort. With improved health for children, we would expect many young Nigerians to opt for smaller families, a trend that would accelerate over the next two or three generations. This would lead to Nigeria's population stabilising somewhere between 250-300 million people, and would alleviate pressure on natural resources, land, and infrastructure. ((Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010) A stabilizing population will provide Nigeria's citizens with greater opportunities to improve their lives, and would enable Nigeria to become an influential regional and global player.
Already, young women in Nigeria are more likely than older women to want smaller families. However, more than half of these women do not have access to family planning services. Better family planning, included as part of a range of health care services for young mothers, would help many more young Nigerians achieve their desired family size, while reducing the number of women who die in childbirth. Education also impacts family size. The average Nigerian woman in her twenties desires 4.6 children, if she has received at least a secondary education. (Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010) A woman with no education at all, in contrast, desires an average of 7.9 children. (Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010)
--Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Former Minister of Health, Nigeria (WorldViews, 1997)
Nigeria must support families who opt for smaller family size, with the expansion of family planning and education as cornerstones of this effort. With improved health for children, we would expect many young Nigerians to opt for smaller families, a trend that would accelerate over the next two or three generations. This would lead to Nigeria's population stabilising somewhere between 250-300 million people, and would alleviate pressure on natural resources, land, and infrastructure. ((Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010) A stabilizing population will provide Nigeria's citizens with greater opportunities to improve their lives, and would enable Nigeria to become an influential regional and global player.
Already, young women in Nigeria are more likely than older women to want smaller families. However, more than half of these women do not have access to family planning services. Better family planning, included as part of a range of health care services for young mothers, would help many more young Nigerians achieve their desired family size, while reducing the number of women who die in childbirth. Education also impacts family size. The average Nigerian woman in her twenties desires 4.6 children, if she has received at least a secondary education. (Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010) A woman with no education at all, in contrast, desires an average of 7.9 children. (Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010)
Job Creation
Advertising from the National Committee on Job Creation.
Reducing levels of youth unemployment – and keeping them low as the labour market expands – should be the government's over-riding priority.
If the government can create jobs for the youth crowding the streets, not only would population growth be put to a halt, but there would be severe reductions in crime, violence, and gang activity, and an upsurge of productivity in the economy.
According to a Next Generation Nigeria report, if the government takes advantage and creates about 25 million jobs in the next ten years, thus investing in its youth, Nigeria's income could be tripled during the next twenty decades. (Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010) Attention should be paid to the health and education sectors, with less emphasis on the oil sector, which although holding 40% of the GDP, does not hold employ a lot of people. (Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010)
In order for Nigeria to be successful, it needs to focus the government, private sector, civil society, and international partners on the pressing need to create jobs for young people.
If the government can create jobs for the youth crowding the streets, not only would population growth be put to a halt, but there would be severe reductions in crime, violence, and gang activity, and an upsurge of productivity in the economy.
According to a Next Generation Nigeria report, if the government takes advantage and creates about 25 million jobs in the next ten years, thus investing in its youth, Nigeria's income could be tripled during the next twenty decades. (Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010) Attention should be paid to the health and education sectors, with less emphasis on the oil sector, which although holding 40% of the GDP, does not hold employ a lot of people. (Harvard Initiative for Global Health, 2010)
In order for Nigeria to be successful, it needs to focus the government, private sector, civil society, and international partners on the pressing need to create jobs for young people.
