NAN-HG-11
Dividends
By Mustapha Sumaila
Abuja, Oct 30, 2017 (NAN) Prof. Peter Ogunjuyigbe of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, on Monday, advised Federal Government to emulate “Asian Tigers” to achieve demographic dividends.
He gave the advice in a paper he presented at the 5th Annual Population Lecture Series (APLS) with the theme “Achieving Demographic Dividends, Strategic Tool for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Development’’ in Abuja.
The APLS, organised by National Population Commission (NpopC), was sponsored by UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Planned Parenthood Federation of Nigeria (PPFN), MacArthur Foundation and USAID.
The don defined demographic dividend as accelerated economic growth that may result from decline in a country’s mortality and fertility rate and subsequent change in the age structure of the population.
Ogunjuyigbe, who was Guest Speaker at the APLS, said government must aggressively invest on youths as panacea for sustainable development in the country the same way the “Asian Tigers”, namely South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan did.
He explained that young people below the age of 25 constituted 60 per cent population of the country, hence the need to invest on them to make them productive.
He said government must initiate demographic change by investing in family planning, girl-child education, child survival and education.
According to him, universal access to quality education, especially the promotion of girl-child education, is main ingredient in achieving demographic dividends in Nigeria.
The emphasised the use of education relevant to the country to develop the youth population and make them productive, noting that it was the approach the Asian Tigers adopted between 1970 and 2015 and recorded huge success.
He also suggested the promotion of technical education and creation of labour intensive industries in achieving demographic dividends in the country.
He said “Nigeria should adopt economic and governance policies that will foster job creation and support the expansion of infrastructure.
“The creation of secure environment and incentives for foreign direct investment are also important to achieve demographic dividends.
“We must provide competitive education infrastructure and bring out the best in every school child, as well as develop sound morals and skills necessary to meet the demands of the rapidly changing world.’’
The lecturer said economic success could be achieved only if there were sustained investments in health, family planning and education.
Ogunjuyigbe noted that bad governance and ethnic conflict must also be addressed because the two factors had affected the economy of the country.
Earlier, the Chairman of NpopC, Eze Duruiheoma (SAN), said the APLC was initiated by the commission in the 1990s and focused on topical issues relating to Nigeria’s population.
He explained that when UNFPA realised the importance of sensitising government officials and the public about challenges facing Nigeria’s population, it took over funding of the lecture series while NpopC rendered coordination activities.
He said the theme of the 2017 APLS was in line with Nigeria’s Roadmap on Demographic Dividend launched in July by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
He added that the theme was also in conformity with current efforts by Federal Government to revamp the nation’s economy through Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
The one-day lecture had in attendance members of Civil Society Organisations, Federal Ministry of Health, lawmakers, journalists, organisations involved in family planning activities, rights organisations and Federal Road Safety Commission, among others. (NAN)
MS/OSA/HA
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Edited by Shittu Obasa/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu