Experts at the 7th family planning conference have called for improved uptake of family planning services to tackle population challenges in the country.
They said the population of Nigeria could be one of the highest in the world by 2050 with its present fertility rate.
The conference was organized by the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and other partners with the theme “Journey to 2030: The Opportunities Ahead”.
Dr Inuwa Jalingo, Census Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), said with the country’s present Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 5.3%, it is on track to be one of highest populated countries in the world by the year 2050.
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While noting that the rapid population growth is due to the low uptake of family planning services, he said there is a need to reduce the fertility rate to avoid demographic crises.
He called for innovative strategies to improve the uptake of family planning services in the country.
Dr Ejike Orji, Chairman Technical Management Committee, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) said the low utilisation of family planning services has contributed to Nigeria’s poor maternal and child health outcomes.
He said the rapid population growth was negatively impacting on the country’s development and health outcomes.
“The greatest return on investment in healthcare is family planning services as it impacts on every aspect. It impacts the climate, it impacts on woman’s health, it impacts on children’s education and allows woman time to earn a living.
“For every dollar spent on family planning, you make about $8.4, which is about 800 per cent return on investment. This will help reduce maternal mortality, reduce infant mortality and improve development as you will be able to spend more in schools,” he stated.
He called for support for the NPC 2023 Population and Housing Census to generate reliable data for effective planning in the country.
Dr Okai Aku, Executive Director, Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN) said Nigeria’s population currently ranks 7th in the world’s eight billion population, adding that no country could plan effectively without credible population data.
Ulla Mueller, Country Representative, UN Population Fund (UNFPA) who was represented by Dr Ummul Bajoga, said Nigeria could manage its population with the right policies.
She said the organisation was ready to support Nigeria in managing its population to achieve demographic dividends.
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