UNFPA Country Representative in Nigeria, Dr Dienne Keita says Family Planning (FP) is the starting point toward harnessing demographic dividends in Nigeria
Keita said this at the ”1st Private Sector Conference on Harnessing Demographic Dividend in Nigeria” organised by the National Population Commission and other development partners on Thursday in Lagos.
The theme of the conference is: “The Role of the Private Sector in Harnessing Demographic Dividend in Nigeria”.
Represented by Mr Osaretin Adonri, an Assistant Country Representative, she said: “Demographic dividend is a potential for growth when we have a particular population structure.
“The starting point is to have family planning in such a way that women have the number of children that they desire to have.
“Then, over time, the population that is working becomes bigger than those that are consuming; that way if they invest their money and save well, we will be able to have development.”
The country representative said that good governance was important in achieving development and growth of the country.
Keita urged governments at all levels to invest in education, health and create the jobs in order to have a productive population.
Mr Paul Ojajuni, the Director of Research and Development, Hacey Health Initiative, an NGO, said that there was need for policy makers to create policies that would enable young people reach their potentials.
Ojajuni said: “We also want such policies to be translated into action such that young people can reach their potentials in the country.”
He also called on young people to be proactive and create opportunities rather than wait for government to create such opportunities for them.
“We have seen young people in the private sector do very well; we expect the private sector to play huge roles.
“Over the years private sectors have initiated programmes, projects which have been successful; in malaria, health financing, the private sector has a huge partner in this,” he said. (NAN)
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