By Ihechi Enyinnaya
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday in Abuja said there was the need for urgent measures to address Nigeria’s high fertility rate, through expanding access to modern contraceptive methods across the country.
He said this during the launch of the Revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development. The President also inaugurated the National Council on Population Management (NCPM), to be chaired by him, and the Vice President as the deputy chairman with Heads of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government (MDAs) as members.
In a statement by his media aide, Femi Adesina, Buhari said its overall goal was to improve the quality of life and standards of living of all Nigerians, which is one of the major aspirations of the current government
”The policy emphasises 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.
”This will enable Nigeria to achieve rapid fertility control, improve the health of women, adolescents, new born and children, and other population groups,’’ he said.
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 per cent of them being below 30 years while half of the female population are in their reproductive years (15-49 years).
”These levels have implications for sustained population growth and narrowed prospects to achieving population management, facilitating sufficient demographic transition, harnessing our demographic endowment and eventually realizing sustainable development,’’ he said.