1 week ago
23
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, (CISLAC), a non-governmental organisation has expressed fears over rising population in Nigeria and world over.
The organisation which raised the concerns at a workshop in Enugu to sensitise the media on the alarming population explosion without corresponding resources to cater for it, posited that if nothing drastic is done, in no distant time, the world might be confronted with a time bomb.
Specifically, the organisation noted that Nigeria which is rated the sixth most populous country in the world, with an estimated population of about 200 million, might reach 400 million by 2050.
Citing a population survey carried out in 2023, CISLAC posited that, “a recent update from October 2023 says the world population is at 8,063,848,386, a 063,843 leap from the eight billion projections released in November 2022 by the United Nations World Population Prospects. The sixth most populous nations in the world, Nigeria stands at 223,804,632 as of 2022.
“Nigeria’s population is projected to reach 400 million by 2050, doubling the current estimate, thus putting the country at a demographic nightmare.”
With this precarious scenario, CISLAC pointed out that there should be massive sensitisation of the people about the impending population implosion and the need to engage in family planning, birth control and the need for government to raise more budgetary allocation for the welfare of the teeming masses.
Stressing on the need for increased awareness, the one day workshop resolved among other things that, “there is a need for wider circulation of the fact-findings from survey where
individual and public attitudes towards population management is being handled in Nigeria contributes largely to demographic
inadequate accessibility to scarce resources exacerbates gravious demographic effect.
“Meaningful engagement with the youth backed by empowerment to change inherent population orientation to prevent future demographic catastrophe.
“Massive sensitisation and awareness to improve public and community population knowledge and positively shape perceptions.
Immediate demographic record to ascertain accurate data to inform development planning.
“Enhanced youth engagement to shape orientation and awareness of population knowledge.
“Social media engagement to expand sensitization outreach and integrate the youth into population conversations.
“Strengthening engagement with policy makers and community leaders the imperative of population planning for sustainable development, as well as activate community engagement mechanisms like functional Constituency Offices, Traditional/Religious Institutions, among others.
CISLAC noted that since October 2023, they have been engaging stakeholders across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria while highlighting the criticality of population management for development as well as up-to-date population data for well-informed and holistic national planning and sustainable development.
CISLAC Project Manager, Mr. Jimoh Abubakar who presided over the sensitisation workshop, said that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the danger posed by population explosion does not consume Nigeria.
He said that CISLAC as an organization will not relent but will continue to spread the gospel that something should be done to check the expected danger.
He pointed out that they have gone round many states in Nigeria, holding workshop on the subject.
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