By Robert Egbe
Panellists at the 14th ÆLEX Annual Lecture have urged Nigerians and the government to pay more attention to the adverse effect of the country’s ever-increasing population.
They were reacting to projections that the country’s population would hit over 400 million by 2050 at the current growth rate of 2.5 per cent.
The virtual event, organised by commercial and dispute resolution law firm, ÆLEX, was themed: ‘Illiteracy, migration and security: Nigeria’s population time bomb.’
It featured several lawyers, including ÆLEX Partner, Mrs Funke Adekoya (SAN); lawyer cum co-host of TVC’s “Your View”, Mrs Nyma Akashat-Zibiri; Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa and Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr Mohammed Yahya, among others.
Mr Yahya noted that a country’s population size has both positive and negative effects. Comparing the Nigerian situation with that of China, he noted that after the 1978 Chinese reforms, the country lifted over 20 million people out of poverty and has remained an economic power in the world.
He said in Nigeria, population explosion has remained largely unchecked and the lack of a corresponding viable economy has negatively led to, high poverty rate due to strained resources, unemployment, overly stretched health care system, weak human and capital development, huge rural-urban migration, insecurity amongst others.
Yahya opined that the placing of Nigeria as competitive market on a global scale competitively would tackle issues of migration and insecurity.
“Nigeria needs to think outside the box and build a strong human capital base”, he said.
For Dabiri-Erewa, illiteracy is not the major cause of population explosion or migration as available data shows that most returnees and Nigerians in Diaspora are highly educated.
“So, tackling such occurrences bothers more on information and awareness rather than illiteracy.
“Although, India has a large population, today, they are doing more with themselves,” she said
On the way forward, she posited that employment opportunities must be created by the government for its people, adding that even where it is clear that such job opportunities may not be exploited by some individuals, it still needs to be created.
“We cannot stop migration whether legal or illegal but it can be managed.
“Our population should not be a tragedy but a blessing but then, this depends on how we harvest what is a blessing to us,” she said.
Akashat-Zibiri, founding partner of Cynosure Practice, Barristers and Solicitors, regretted government’s alleged ‘insensitivity’ to the plights of ordinary Nigerians, adding that hardship was evident with the sundry looting that took place post the ENDSARS protest.
She advised that citizens should not be blamed for illegal migration, that it was a response to the need to find greener pastures.
On population explosion, she suggested that one of the reasons the government may have been shying away from the discourse is due to the religious and cultural colouration attached to the topic, and this makes healthier policies like family planning seem like ridicule.
The panellists concluded that Nigeria has both population and governance problems, and there’s a need to address these issues from the very root.
This would involve, among others, educating the populace against large scale birthing where adequate resources to take care of the children are non-existent, and also raising awareness on the dangers associated with illegal migration.
Speaking earlier, ÆLEX managing partner Theophilus Emuwa noted the timely nature of the topic to the country’s current challenges, noting that poor population management would result in social discord.
Mrs Adekoya, in her closing remarks, appreciated the panellists and participants for their patience and contributions.
The üLEX lecture series was inaugurated in 2005 to commemorate the founding of the practice which has since grown to become a full-service law firm with offices in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Accra, Ghana.
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