The Federal Government has stated that Nigeria’s rising population is a cause of concern in the future, warning that it needs to implement policies to deal with the rising population growth rate and keep the growth rate in check.
This was disclosed by Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), on Monday in Abuja during a book launch, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
The book, written by Dr Manassah Jatau, a retired Deputy Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, is titled, “A Sociology for Medical Practice.”
What the SGF is saying
Mustapha stated that Nigeria is expected to become the 3rd most populous nation on earth in a couple of decades, admitting that Nigeria currently cannot address the needs of its youth.
He said, “Given one or two decades from now, Nigeria will become the third most populous country, coming after China and India.
“There is an urgent need for us to begin to plan for this increase.
He added that right now, the FG is dealing with the youth population and “we have not been able to provide solutions to some of the complaints in the country.”
He also said that there is a need for the introduction of traditional medicine, which will reduce the level at which Nigerians visit other countries for medical treatment.
Earlier in his welcome address, Mr Adewale Adeniyi, Assistant Comptroller-General, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), eulogized Jatau for a job well done, stressing that the issues of health and environment could not be over-emphasized.
What you should know
Lagos, Abuja, and Ogun State led the list of states in Nigeria with the highest internally generated revenue per population in the first half of 2021. This is according to analysis carried out by Nairalytics, the research arm of Nairametrics.
The Southwestern region of the country boasts of the highest IGR per population with aggregate revenue of N385.41 billion, resulting in an N8,575 IGR per population. The region grew its revenue by 37.3% compared to N6,243 recorded in the corresponding period of 2020.
The south-south region followed with an average of N4,626.99 revenue per individual, having recorded an 8.8% increase from N4,253 recorded in the previous year, closely followed by North Central with N3,745.83.
“There is an urgent need for us to begin to plan for this increase.
Knowing this and as the SGF he is most positioned to start that process of driving real planning for the future, instead of planning for the pockets of politicians. All the ministers interface with him