Each year, Nigeria‘s population grows by approximately four million, a figure that will only rise due to the geometric nature of population increase. This alarming trend underscores the urgent need for strategic interventions to curb fertility rates and harness the nation’s demographic dividend.
Population growth in Nigeria is driven by a persistently high fertility rate, currently estimated at 4.8 births per woman, down from 5.3 in previous years.
While progress has been made, reproductive health experts warn that the rate must fall to at least 4 births per woman by 2030 to prevent an overburdened economy and strained public infrastructure.
The Chairman, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP), Dr. Ejike Orji, noted that the success stories of India and China provide a blueprint for Nigeria, stating that these two nations, once grappling with widespread poverty, managed to transform their economies by reducing fertility rates and investing heavily in their youth.
He said India, for instance, is now the world‘s fifth-largest economy, while China holds the top spot. Nigeria has a similar opportunity to capitalise on its youthful population, provided it makes deliberate efforts to balance population growth with available resources. „If we do not act now, the consequences will be dire,“ said Dr Orji.
According to Dr. Orji, reducing fertility rates is essential for Nigeria to manage its population and improve living standards. “If we do not bring down our fertility rates, by the year 2050, we will be 450 million,” he said, underscoring the urgency of the issue.“
He highlighted the role of family planning in boosting economic development, stating that Nigeria adds approximately four million people to its population annually, a number expected to grow exponentially.
“This geometric increase will create serious problems for us if not addressed,” he warned.
He stressed that Nigeria has the same opportunity to transform its economic prospects by leveraging its demographic dividend.
In the same vein, the Managing Director of FP2030, Martin Migombano, said that family planning could reduce maternal mortality by at least 30 percent, calling it a critical solution to Nigeria’s high maternal mortality rate, which accounts for 28.5 percent of global deaths.
“If we reduce maternal mortality in Nigeria through family planning, it would result in almost a 20 percent global reduction,” he explained, emphasising that this would be a significant step toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
Migombano also highlighted the international community‘s focus on Nigeria, stressing the country‘s pivotal role in global health progress.
He further stressed the importance of collaboration and synergy in addressing Nigeria’s family planning challenges, urging all partners, including religious leaders, the government, and financial donors, to ensure that investments reach the grassroots level. „Whatever investments that are being done must actually go to the grassroots where women should access family planning,“ he stated.
He also pointed out that while national discussions are important, the real focus should be on helping women at the community level. „The key question is, how can women access family planning?“ he said, stressing that those waking up every day, hoping to find a method, need the support and resources to do so.
In commemoration of World Contraception Day 2024, stakeholders called for increased government funding and expanded access to reproductive health services to ensure women across the country can exercise their right to family planning.
The National President of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Prof. Rosemary Ogu, emphasised the need for increased government funding to improve access to contraception and free pregnancy care for women, particularly those in rural areas.
She highlighted the importance of education and creating demand for family planning services, stressing that primary healthcare centers should be fully functional and accessible.
Contraception is not just about preventing pregnancies; it is a strategy to reduce maternal mortality, enable women to pursue education, and allow adults to reach their full potential,“ she said.
Corroborating this, the country director of IPas Nigeria Health Foundation, Dr. Lucky Palmer, also called for universal access to modern contraceptive and comprehensive reproductive health services.
He addressed the cultural and systemic barriers, particularly the exclusion of vulnerable groups such as adolescents and women with disabilities, from accessing contraception.
„Contraception should be free and available to all, regardless of age, disability, or marital status. We need to remove these barriers to ensure no one is left behind,“ Dr. Palmer said, noting that over 1,500 maternal deaths in Nigeria annually could be prevented with better access to contraceptives.
Nigeria continues to hold the highest maternal mortality rate globally, despite achieving a 40 percent reduction in recent years. Dr. Orji, expressed concern that 70 percent of those affected are girls under the age of 15. He urged the government to prioritise family planning in its legislative agenda, noting that previous funding shortfalls had hampered progress.
Dr. Orji, however, disclosed that the current minister of health had already released $4 million for reproductive health services, with an additional $6 million contributed by donors.
Family planning (FP) is an important tool in the prevention of child and infant deaths, unintended pregnancies, risky births, unsafe abortions, and maternal mortality, however, many women do not use modern contraceptives for several reasons, including religious/cultural beliefs, the quest to have more children, fear of side effects, myths and misconception.
Even though accessibility, affordability and availability of quality family planning services are taken as one of the fundamental human rights, the 2015 report of the United Nations on “world contraceptive pattern” revealed that over 216 million married women who were willing and ready to use contraceptives were not able to access them.
The Federal Government had a target in 2012 to increase Modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (mCPR) to 36 per cent by 2018. However, on July 11, 2017 at the FP Summit in London, this target was rebased to 27 per cent by 2020.
With the consistent dwindling funding from donors coupled with the unmet need for modern method of contraception in 2021 (which was 12.3 per cent of all women), stakeholders have called on the government at all levels to increase domestic funding, to enable more women have access to FP services.
The director, African Center of Excellence for Population Health and Policy, Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Hadiza Galadanchi said while family planning is one of the most effective means to addressing the challenges of maternal morbidity and mortality, there are lots of women who want contraceptives but can’t get it.
He added that, “Unmet need is real, we did a study across Nigeria. Almost 30 per cent of women in Lagos state are using traditional method of family planning.”
Meanwhile, the Head, Health Promotion, Federal Ministry of Health, Nma Ogbonna, assured of the Federal Government‘s commitment to ensuring the wellbeing of Nigerians.
She also urged family planning literacy amongst women and men. „With proper literacy level, one can make informed decision“, she said.
„Government is really working to ensure the needs of Nigerians are met“, she added.
However, the path forward requires robust policy interventions. Public awareness campaigns, improved access to family planning, and education, particularly for girls, are crucial.
The Nigerian Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) of 2023 has highlighted some gains, but much remains to be done. Investments in healthcare, education, and job creation must be prioritized to ensure a sustainable future.
As Nigeria strives to stabilise its population growth, the government must adopt a holistic approach that balances population control with economic and social development.
