The latest report by the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs has revealed that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is on track to becoming the fourth most populous country on the planet, with 375m people by 2050.
Other highlights of the report
- The UN department also projected the global population to rise from 7.753 billion in 2020 to 8 billion by 15th November 2022, with the Asian country, China, leading the chart. The report further added that the world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.
- Another major highlight of the report is that India is fast catching up to China as the most populous nation and could topple the country by 2050.
- The report also projects that the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania will by 2050 make up more than half of the world’s population.
- There are more men (50.3%) compared to women (49.7%) as of 2022. This figure, according to the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, could be equaled by 2050, considering the rate of growth of the women population.
Why this matters
Population experts have warned that Nigeria’s growing population would negatively affect the country if not checked, as the country is not economically stable to handle a population influx.
- Dr Aminu Magashi Garba, Coordinator Africa Health Budget Network (AHBN), said that “the country’s population would lead to food scarcity, fewer jobs, jobless youths and insecurity and hunger and poor health indices.”
- Prof. Emmanuel Lufadeju, National Coordinator of the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive Maternal and Child Health (RMCH) in his warning stated the overgrown population in a developing country such as Nigeria could only lead to poverty.
Solutions
- Experts have said that the federal government needs to double the efforts on the already launched Family Planning (FP) 2030 commitment.
- The Executive Director of the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Integrity Watch (CeFTIW), Umar Yakubu, suggested that the government at all levels begins to invest in human capital and other sectors of the economy including agriculture and technology.