Population: Participants Harp On Citizens Re-orientation At CISLAC Capacity Building Workshop

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Sunday, February 16th, 2025

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Capacity Building Workshop for the media, institutions and the public in Enugu state on imperative of Population Planning in the country, organized by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/Transparency International in Nigeria weekend, have stressed the need for robust engagement and reorientation of citizens, especially the youths on the issue.

Our correspondent writes that the training programme was put together under the aegis of Population Conversation in Nigeria, and supported by Population Matters United Kingdom (UK).

CISLAC, had Since October 2023, been engaging stakeholders across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria on the criticality of population management for development as well as up-to-date population data for well-informed and holistic national planning and sustainable development.

The organization presented an overview of the project report during the workshop which was also attended by Mrs. Okorie Odinakachukwu, Director of National population Commission, NPC Enugu State and others key stakeholders from various government ministries.

The participants stated that there is need for wider circulation of the fact-findings from the survey by CISLAC, noting that the poor attitudes of individual and public towards population management in Nigeria contributes largely to demographic

Inadequate accessibility to scarce resources and exacerbates gravious demographic effect in the country.

They said there is also a need for “Meaningful engagement with the youth backed by empowerment to change inherent population orientation to prevent future demographic catastrophe.

Also needed is “Massive sensitisation and awareness to improve public and community population knowledge and positively shape perceptions.

They equally advocate for immediate demographic record in the country so as to ascertain accurate data to inform development planning. Enhaced youth engagement to shape orientation and awareness of population knowledge.

The participants also believed that Social media engagement would help in expanding sensitization outreach and integrate the youth into population conversations, as well as strengthening engagement with policy makers and community leaders on the imperative of population planning for sustainable development.

They also stressed the need to Activate community engagement mechanisms such as functional Constituency Offices of elected political office holders and Traditional/Religious Institutions.

“Enhanced sensitization on community demand for accountability of resource generation and allocation to ensure impactful social services that improve quality of life.

“In-depth interrogation of budgetary allocation by the citizens to engender proper implementation that reflects peoples’ needs and expectation, and citizenship engagement in budgeting process by state and non-state actors to access and absorb citizens’ socio-economic needs.

Presenting the overview of the CISLAC project report earlier, Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)

Executive Director, CISLAC/TI-Nigeria, who spoke through the programmes Manager, Jimoh Abaubakr, noted that the present Nigeria’s demographic nightmare calls for serious worry among citizens.

He said the current world’s population has become so large that the earth cannot cope, neither is the replacement rates at equilibrium of sustainability.

According to him, a recent update from October 2023 says the world population is at 8,063,848,386, a 063,843 leap from the eight billion projections released in November 2022 by the United Nations World Population Prospects.

“The sixth most populous nation in the world, Nigeria stands at 223,804,632 as of 2022. Nigeria’s population is projected to reach 400 million by 2050, doubling the current estimate, thus putting the country in a demographic nightmare.

“Since October 2023, CISLAC has been engaging stakeholders across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria while highlighting the criticality of population management for development as well as up-to-date population data for well-informed and holistic national planning and sustainable development.

“Recall, on 13th February 2024, CISLAC held a Nigeria Population Conversation Seminar, which amplified national voices and local actions via evidence-based advocacy towards sustainable population in Nigeria.

“The National Seminar identified lack of population planning as a main contributory factor to multiplier effects of youth unemployment, insecurity, inaccessible healthcare services, food insecurity, education inequality and other challenges that undermine socio-economic development of Nigeria.

He explained that the workshop is aimed at engendering a countrywide population and smaller family discussion, while stimulating institutions’ participation, media agenda, public sensitization and awareness of the imperative of population for sustainable development in Nigeria.