NAN-ELS-6
Children
By Justina David Auta
Abuja, Sept. 16, 2016 (NAN) Some residents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have attributed the decision of most couple to have few number of children to the tight economic situation in the country.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday, said the number of children couples chose to have was also due to awareness of family planning and spacing.
Others added that civilisation and foreign influences had also contributed to the fewer number of children families have in this era.
Mr Isaiah Idowu said that the economic situation in recent times had forced many parents to have few children they could carter for compared to many children that couples had in the past.
“In the past, when things were cheap, some cultures judge a man’s wealth by the number of wives and children he has.
“But the situation in our society now has forced us all to change our mindset about judging a man’s wealth from the number of children he has to those he can afford to care for.’’
Mr Audu Gombe, a civil servant said the high number of children a man had in the past was because the standard of living was very cheap for them and the government provided jobs, free education, feeding and training for the people.
“During our days, education was free, feeding and training were virtually free and accessible to us. So people were just having children indiscriminately because government would shoulder most of the burden.’’
Gombe noted that families now have few children due to enlightenment and the benefit of catering for a smaller family.
“Parents prefer to have smaller families now, because they are more enlightened and know the effects of having a larger family on their economy, as well as their lifestyle.’’
Mrs Racheal Azubuike, a housewife and mother of three said exposure to benefit of family spacing and planning had contributed immensely to the few children in a family.
“People are now aware of techniques for proper planning and spacing of children.
“So families no longer have children indiscriminately because they don’t have access to some of these methods, which are gotten free from government hospitals,’’she said.
However, Mr Monday Abu, a civil servant said that there would be shortage of labour force in the future if couples continued to limit the number of children they would like to have.
“If care is not taken, there will be a time in the future that there will be shortage of labour force if families continue to limit the number of children they like to have.
“Our concern shouldn’t be about population, but rather we should be more focused on managing the available resources we have at our disposal.’’
Abu, also added that life was full of uncertainty, hence the need for couples to have more children, “as any eventuality can happen’’. (NAN)
JAD/EEE
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Edited by Ese E. Ekama