0
0
As the globe marks World Population Day, Sociologist and health care providers in Ilorin, the Kwara State Capital have expressed worry on the nation’s population growth and societal development.
With a population projection by the United Nations of around Two Hundred and Sixteen Million at the end of 2022, they expressed concern on how family inefficiency is creating security challenges.
Nigeria the most populous country in Africa, as her population was estimated at around Two Hundred and Sixteen Million by United Nations 2022 data, and with a projection of about Four Hundred Million by the end of year 2050.
The case of Mrs. Anawu Sanni a 38 – year old unskilled mother of Seven in Sango Area of Ilorin metropolis who rejected family planning method, inspite of limited resources, got her relatives worried.
Mrs. Anaawu who is carrying her Eight pregnancy, Six of which were self delivered at home, said though she finds child delivery easy, the Seventh pregnancy came with complications hence she is considering using contraceptive.
She said “I decided to give birth to all the children in my body because some love to control it while some do not think it is necessary, besides I find child delivery easy “.
One of her relatives, Aisha Abdul decried the living condition and economic situation of Mrs Anaawu and wants government to do more in sensitizing the public on benefits of birth control for optimal population control.
She was worried that the children are not getting adequate care, as two out of the Seven children were enrolled in school when the others are not expose to any form of education.
In a reaction, the Head of Reproductive Health and Family Planning, Kwara State Ministry of Health, Hajia Khadijah Kofo Ibrahim who maintained that the family planning commodities are available at health facilities in the State with trained providers and conducive environment, said that the Ministry had carried out different communities sensitization programme.
Hajia Kofo Ibrahim said “recently we carried out a programme tagged Kwara State Social Behavioural Change Communication Strategy Development Workshop, in partnership with The Challenge Initiative. This workshop is also targeting at people’s behaviour towards taking birth services in the State.
“We look at how the behaviour and social aspect of human can change, in terms of the way they look at certain health services that will improve their quality of life”.
In a contribution, Dr. Afeez Lawal of Department of Sociology and Criminology, Al – Hikmah University Ilorin who blamed the current insecurity challenges in the country on family failure, said it is important to have a planned family not necessarily having a stipulated number of children to give birth to.
Dr. Lawal is of the opinion that children left uncared for are responsible for banditry, kidnapping, cybercrime, armed robbery among other security challenges facing the country.
“I’m not saying you should not have many children as you want, but you should be able to cater for them. If you do not cater for them, the resultant effect is that, it would be creating problem for us, and this is clearly evidence in the number of challenges we are facing in Nigeria today.
“There are some parents that are responsible but they do not have the economy means to take care of them, in that respect the government should not leave them to themselves.
” There are two ways to population analysis, population should be our strength, one of the strength of China today is their population, it has helped the pace at which they are attaining development, so if you have a large population, it is not a barrier, it is a strength, population regulation is not the best approach towards reducing insecurity or social problem in the society.
“Rather what is being done in developed countries called Transformative Socio Policy should be initiated in our country. This social policy will take care of every aspect of the society, you can not be building the economy sector then leave education sector, and think you will have result “.
The Sociologist maintained that the nation’s population should be its strength as done in advanced countries and advised that population data should be used to formulate transformative social policy.
Aminah Salako – Adekunle
