PMB Launches Revised National Policy On Population For Sustainable Development
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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 thethe
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.
