Due to Nigeria’s continuous population growth, Nigeria will be part of the eight countries that will account for half the projected growth in global population by 2050. This is alongside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the United Republic of Tanzania. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) revealed this information on April 19, 2023, in its 2023 State of World Population report. The UN urged that family planning must not be used as a tool for achieving fertility targets but as a tool for empowering individuals.
In the report, the United Nations stated that Global demographics are changing rapidly. Because two-thirds of people are living in low fertility contexts, these eight countries will account for half the projected growth, dramatically reordering the ranking of most populous countries in the world. The UN said in its study that greater gender parity in the labor force would do more to sustain economies in aging, low-fertility societies than setting targets for women to have more.
UN urges the media and politicians to abandon overblown narratives.
It has been revealed in new data that population anxieties are widespread and governments are consequently increasingly adopting policies aimed at raising, lowering or maintaining fertility rates. But these efforts to influence fertility rates are often ineffective. They can also erode women’s rights, according to the report. The report, titled “Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: the case for rights and choices,” calls for a radical rethink of how population numbers are framed. It urges politicians and the media to abandon overblown narratives about population booms and busts. Instead of asking how fast people are reproducing, leaders should shift their focus to individuals’ freedom to make their own reproductive choices, especially women. The answer to this probe is usually in the negative.
UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem says, “Women’s bodies should not be held captive to population targets.” According to the statistics, a staggering 44 percent of partnered women and girls in 68 reporting countries do not have the right to make informed decisions about their bodies when it comes to having sex, using contraception and seeking healthcare. Also, an estimated 257 million women worldwide have an unmet need for safe, reliable contraception. History has shown that fertility policies designed to increase or lower birth rates are very often ineffective and can undermine women’s rights.
Family planning should be used to empower individuals.
Many countries have rolled out programs to engineer larger families by offering financial incentives and rewards to women and their partners, yet they continue to see birth rates below two children per woman. And efforts to slow population growth through forced sterilization and coercive contraception have grossly violated human rights. The UNFPA said that family planning must not be used as a tool for achieving fertility targets. Instead, it should be used as a tool for empowering individuals.
Thus, women should be able to choose if, when and how many children they would like to have, free from the coercion of pundits and officials. The report strongly recommends that governments institute policies with gender equality and rights at their heart, such as parental leave programs, child tax credits, policies that promote gender equality in the workplace, and universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights. The UNFPA says this is a proven formula that will reap economic dividends and lead to resilient societies able to thrive no matter how populations change.
Key facts and figures from the 2023 state of world population.
According to the data, about 24 percent of partnered women and girls are unable to say no to sex and 11 percent are unable to make decisions specifically about contraception. A survey of eight countries showed that people who had been exposed to media or conversations about the world’s population were more likely to view the world as overpopulated. The organization also warned against blaming fertility for climate change as it will not hold the greatest carbon emitters to account. Out of eight billion people in the world now, about 5.5 billion do not make enough money (which is about $10 a day) to contribute significantly to carbon emissions.
Related Link
UNFPA: Website
Nigeria & 7 others to drive population growth. – Nigeria will account for half the projected growth in global population by 2050. – Express your point of view.
Nigeria’s rapid population growth presents both opportunities and challenges, and it’s essential for policymakers and stakeholders to work together to ensure sustainable development and a prosperous future for all Nigerians.
Nigeria will account for half the projected growth in global population by 2050. Nigeria population is growing more and more. Many countries have organised programs to many families by offering financial incentives and rewards to women and their partners, yet they continue to see birth rates below two children per woman. The truth is that can Nigeria government do the same here. Can they offer those incentive and rewards to it citizens? What are plans to control overpopulation. What measures can Nigeria take to stop it. If only Nigeria government can follow the footsteps of other countries
We are overpopulated and that is really bad because it makes a lot of things scarce like food and jobs a smaller population will make things go round easier.
I think the government should step into our overpopulation issue because it is already too much, and we should take examples from countries like China, where their government has told each house not to give birth to more than 1 child, and that will help the country.
It is important to consider the expansion of our national population, but I believe people should have the freedom to decide for themselves how many children they want but they should be able to take care of them.
When it comes to population Nigeria is well known as giant in Africa. However government should capitalize well on the positive potentials that comes with such a massive population and try every possible best to avoid the later.
Our population is too much overpopulation is in our country that why we need large quantity of thing to occupied us we are just much and not much usefulness
The rate at Nigeria population is increasing each day need to be examined and find way of curbing the increament because if time is not taking,the population will explode beyond imagination and it will affect alot things not only in Nigeria but allover the world.
It is important we need to know our population rate and growth level. It will help us be able to maximize our resources and know how to channel it to a very good use.
Increased population with Pugh equivalent growth in economy is not what Nigeria needs right now. People should learn to adopt birth control policy if they are not financially buoyant to take care of several kids
Let women be given their freedom of choice of the number of children to give birth to. However, considering the increased population of Nigeria we may say let our population be regulated. Howbeit, I believe women should be subjected to experimental lab rat that determine the number of birth to be given and our population.
The reality of the whole population thing is glaring before us. Educate everyone, teach them to understand the importance of child control will lead to population regulation. Women shouldn’t be object of experiment to determine population. It should choice and not enforcing to do so.I believe if everyone is educated and have perfect understanding of the importance of population regulation them population stability is achieveable