Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has cautioned that Nigeria’s population growth could become a source of concern if it is not well managed.
Obasanjo made this known at event on Sunday in Ogun State.
According to a United Nations report which was released earlier this month, Nigeria’s estimated population has grown to 211 million.
While reacting to the development, the former president forecasted that if the population explosion is not brought under control, Nigeria will become the third-largest country in the world in the year 2050.
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He added that the nation must embrace “population management” as quickly as possible to forestall a disastrous ripple effect of a significant increase in the number of citizens.
“We have moved from 120 million to over 200 million, we have added the population of France to our population, and if we continue the way we are going, by the year 2050, we will be the third-largest country in the world,” the former president said.
“If we continue, by the year 3000, we will be the largest country in the world. Now, what are we going to do to handle the situation? How are we going to handle that population?
“If we don’t start getting it right now, we will not get it right by 2050. But population by itself may not be a liability if we do what we have to do. But if we don’t do what we have to do – which we are not doing now – the population will become a liability.
“We should educate ourselves about population management. Some people don’t like family planning and all that, but whatever you do, you must manage your population for the benefit of all that is within your nation.”
