President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria’s galloping population and limited resources are making it difficult to create enough jobs for unemployed Nigerians.
Buhari revealed this in a nationwide broadcast on Saturday to Nigerians to mark the 2021 Democracy Day.
In spite of the economic challenges caused by the global coronavirus pandemic, he said his administration was determined to lift 100 million Nigeria out of poverty.
According to him, 10.5 million Nigerians have already been lifted out of poverty in the last two years.
He said, “I will be the first to admit that in spite of our efforts and achievements which are there for all to see, there is still much more to be done and we are doing our best in the face of scarce resources and galloping population growth rate that consistently outstrips our capacity to provide jobs for our populace.
“Our overall economic target of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years is our goal notwithstanding COVID-19.
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“In the last two years, we lifted 10.5 million people out of poverty – farmers, small-scale traders, artisans, market women and the like.”
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in its State of the World Population 2021 report estimated Nigeria’s population to be 211.4 million.
The Fund also projected that the life expectancy for Nigerian men is 54 and that of women, 56.
In 2020, the UN estimated Nigeria’s population to be 206.1 million and put the life expectancy at 55 years.
