Nigeria’s population and health data experts have ranked the country’s population as one of the fastest growing in the world, saying the trend is worrisome and should be of great concern to policy makers, the local tabloid, Guardian reported from here Sunday. According to the Population Association of Nigeria (PAN), the figures, currently put at 160 million, could double by the year 2035 to a staggering 300 million.
Two representatives of the association, both lecturers from the Obafemi Awolowo University and the Lagos State University, Dr. Peter Ogunjuyigbe and Dr. Adebayo Fadeyi, respectively, conveyed the findings in a joint statement released weekend.
They said the alarm was necessary to challenge government and other stakeholders, including international agencies to take appropriate measures needed to check the explosion, adding that early warning would help government put in place infrastructure and management strategies necessary to effectively cope with the fall out.
βIt is estimated that the current population of Nigeria is about 160 million. Nigeria has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. If the present high rate of population continues, the population of Nigeria may double in size in about 23 years.
‘This implies that Nigeria may have about 300 million people in 2035. The consequences and implications of the rapid growth rate of the population are grave for the standards of living and socio-economic and health development of the country,β they said.
According to the experts, the scenario is made worse by the absence of a corresponding and effective functional health delivery system in the country.
Determined to take these findings to the doorstep of government and other stakeholders, PAN has scheduled a four-day international conference, themed ‘Population, Health and Development in Nigeria’ from Monday, 12 to Friday, 15 September, 2011.