NIGERIA remains the world's seventh most populous nation with a total headcount of 182m people according to the latest figures provided by the National Population Commission (NPC).
According to figures just released by the NPC director-general Ghaji Bello, more than half Nigeria's population is under 30 years of age. This, according to him, puts a severe strain on a nation, with its slowing economy and declining revenue to provide enough schools and health facilities.
Mr Bello said the latest estimate was based on the population of 140m recorded in the last census a decade ago, using an annual growth rate of 3.5% weighed against other variables such as rising life expectancy and a declining infant mortality rate. He added that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, was witnessing a growing youth bulge, with those under 14 years accounting for more than 40% of its citizens.
According to Mr Bello, this is happening at a time the International Monetary Fund has predicted that the nation’s gross domestic product will shrink by 1.7% this year. This will be Nigeria's first full-year contraction in more than two decades.
Mr Bello added: “The implication is that they are assets, they are the future of our country but they are also liabilities. We need to know how to plan for their transition from youths to the next category as it has implications for education, health and security, particularly in our environment where you have a lot of unemployment."
He said plans to hold a census this year were delayed by 2015 elections and a plunge in revenue due to low prices for crude, the country’s main export. Also, slashed output caused by militant attacks in the Niger Delta, has hurt government income, which has delayed the release of funds to conduct the census.
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