Nigeria’s population could skyrocket to 450 million by 2050 unless urgent measures are taken to curb the nation’s fertility rates, experts in family planning have warned.
This alarming projection was disclosed during a media roundtable organized by the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in Abuja on Tuesday.
Addressing journalists, the AAFP Chairman, Ejike Oji, emphasized the unsustainable nature of the country’s geometric population growth, which currently adds at least four million people annually.
“If this trend continues, we could be adding six million or even 10 million people annually in the coming years,” Oji warned.
Citing data from the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), Oji noted that Nigeria’s fertility rate has dropped slightly from 5.3 to 4.8.
While describing this as progress, he stressed the urgency of reducing the rate to four by 2030 to avert serious socio-economic challenges.
Drawing comparisons with nations like India and China, Oji highlighted their successes in managing population growth through investments in family planning and their youthful populations, which subsequently drove economic growth.
He called for Nigeria to adopt similar strategies to achieve sustainable development.
In her remarks, Ifesinachi Eze, a consultant with AMREF International, shed light on the challenges women face in conflict zones, where access to family planning and reproductive health services is severely disrupted.
Using the story of Amina, a displaced woman from northern Nigeria, Eze underscored how conflict, natural disasters, and pandemics leave women with unmet needs, further straining fragile health systems.
Eze announced the development of a private sector engagement guide under USAID’s PROPEL Adapt project.
The guide, created in collaboration with FP2030, outlines strategies to involve the private sector in sustaining family planning and reproductive health services during crises.
“Private sector contributions such as logistical support, data-driven forecasting, funding, and rapid response are critical in maintaining these services in emergencies,” Eze said.
She also called for stronger public-private partnerships to combine government policy expertise with private sector innovation.
The roundtable served as a precursor to the 8th Nigeria Family Planning Conference, which aims to advance family planning within the framework of the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.
Stakeholders discussed bridging the gap between policy and practice, ensuring equitable access to services, and leveraging technology and private sector investments for sustainable progress.
Other issues raised included the role of advocacy, resource mobilization, and engaging faith leaders to strengthen family planning programmes. Participants emphasized the need for the media to amplify these efforts to inspire further action.
Nma Ogbona, head of the Promotion Division at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, reassured stakeholders of the government’s commitment to improving healthcare and strengthening access to family planning and reproductive health services.
The discussions also renewed focus on achieving FP2030 goals, including enhancing reproductive health services for adolescents and underserved communities, ensuring rights-based quality services, and addressing vulnerabilities.
With Nigeria’s population nearing 239 million, stakeholders agreed that urgent and collaborative action is required to prevent the dire socio-economic consequences of unchecked population growth.
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