President Muhammadu Buhari has launched the Revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development, stressing the need for urgent measures to address Nigeria’s high fertility rate, through expanding access to modern contraceptive methods across the country.
The President also inaugurated the National Council on Population Management (NCPM), chaired by him, and the Vice President as the deputy chairman with Heads of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as members.
Speaking on the country’s revised population policy, the President said its overall goal is to improve the quality of life and standards of living of all Nigerians, which is one of the major aspirations of government
He said the policy emphasizes the urgency to address Nigeria’s sustained high fertility rate, through expanding access to modern family planning, counselling and commodities as well as promote births spacing.
The President said this will enable Nigeria to achieve rapid fertility control, improve the health of women, adolescents, new born and children, and other population groups.
President Buhari noted that Nigeria’s population, which is the largest in Africa, seventh globally and among the few whose fertility is still growing, is hinged on a youthful population, with more than 72 percent of them being below 30 years while half of the female population are in their reproductive years (15-49 years).
On other highlights of the revised population policy, the President explained that it underscores the importance of investing in quality education of young people (particularly girls), human capital development, advancing holistic effort to achieve significant demographic transition.
While noting that the implementation of the policy would require credible, reliable, timely, robust, geo-referenced and well disaggregated data, President Buhari expressed confidence that the data generated from the forthcoming census, will provide all the information needed for the successful implementation of the new policy.
Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Isa Kwarra urged Nigerians to embrace the noble ideals of planned parenthood and healthy reproductive behaviours enunciated in the policy.
Enumerating some salient issues in relation to the population policy, Kwarra noted that the review policy is the product of extensive consultations and nationwide engagements with key stakeholders and interest groups.
He said the groups cut across government sectoral ministries at national and states’ levels, civil society organisations, development partners, researchers, the media and the organised private sector.
On the NCPM, the NPC Chairman said the body is key in the implementation of the revised Policy, saying ”in addition to providing strategic direction in the implementation process, the Council will hopefully advocate for and support the conduct of the population and housing census, thus providing accurate and up-to-date data to guide the implementation of the Policy.”
In his goodwill message, the UN Resident Coordinator, Nigeria, Matthias Schmale expressed confidence that the policy launched by President Buhari was bound to be successful for several reasons.
BELLO WAKILI
