Osinbajo inaugurates Road Map on Demographic Dividend to boost healthy population

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Thursday in Abuja inaugurated Road Map on Demographic Dividend aimed at achieving healthy population and sustainable development in the country.

The acting president said there was need for relevant sectors to ensure collective efforts and synergy toward implementing policies, programmes and strategies in addressing the nation’s disparities to boost demographic dividend for sustainable development.

Represented by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Sen. Udoma Udo Udoma, Osinbajo urged states and local governments to buy into the multi-sectoral approach to ensure effective and efficient investments in youth across the country.

He said “with total fertility rate in the country at approximately 5.5 children per woman and a youthful age structure of about half of the population under the age of 35 years, we have a great opportunity at this time.

“The implication of demographic realities for our country’s development may have consequences too grave to be ignored.

“Nigeria must harness the opportunities its population has to offer.

“The population of Nigeria is estimated at 181.2 million in 2017, having grown at 3.2 per cent annually in the past decade.’’

According to him, Nigeria will have an additional 68 million people by the year 2030 at this rate and the population will remain young throughout most of this century.

He added that the current large population of young persons in Nigeria presented an opportunity for accelerated economic growth if strategic investments were made to harness demographic dividend.

He maintained that “aligning with global development objectives and Nigeria’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), this roadmap will guide and facilitate the implementation of programmes that will put Nigeria on the path to reaping demographic dividend within the shortest possible time.

“Specifically, the roadmap will refocus programme activities to ensure healthy population, enhance the potential of young people to contribute to the economy, mainstream social protection, create social safety nets in all critical sectors and promote good governance and rule of law.’’

He, therefore, expressed the hope that all sectors of the country would key into the opportunity presented by demographic dividend to economic growth that would improve the well-being of Nigerians.

The acting president announced that a demographic dividend observatory of key indicators from the action would be domiciled in his office for monitoring and tracking the achievements of all sectors.

He thanked stakeholders that participated in the development of the roadmap.

In his remarks, the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stressed the need for
the country to increase the number of people in working age group, more growers, more producers than consumers.

He said “we need to create a youth-centred approach that will bring our youth together; let us give them hope and a sense of belonging because this country belongs to all of us.’’

The Director-General, National Population Commission, Dr Ghaji Bello, presented the general overview of the Roadmap on Demographic Dividend.

Mr John Bongaarts, the Vice-President and distinguished scholar, Population Council, also presented a paper titled “Harnessing a Demographic Dividend: Global Success Stories’’, at the event.

 

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