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Tag Demographic Dividend

Health

Demographic Dividend: UNFPA drums support for Nigerian youths

Demographic Dividend: UNFPA drums support for youths
By Mustapha Sumaila
Youths
Abuja, Sept. 16, 2018 (NAN) The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has advised governments to keep youths at the centre of priority to drive the change of harnessing Demographic Dividend (DD).
Dr Mabingue Ngom, the UNFPA Regional Director of West and Central Africa Regional Office, gave this advice at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Forum in Abuja.
Ngom explained that the youth of Nigeria should be at the centre of priority not only in terms of political decision but in the budgeting and concrete actions.
He said that the government and other stakeholders must create space for young people and give them voice in achieving DD in the country.
According to him, the best investment for security is to invest in young people.
The regional director emphasised that in as much as Nigerian youths were not placed in their rightful position “we will continue to have young people crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Libya and Europe’’.
“In Africa today, we have problem of migration which is the symptom of big issue of high population growth driven by child marriage and unmet needs of the young people.
“If we do not invest in our youth, there is no way we will achieve the goal we set out for ourselves in terms of harnessing the DD.
“There must be quality education and job opportunity for the youth in addressing the challenge of migration and insurgency.
“The issue of child marriage is still a problem in some parts of this country and that must be addressed by relevant stakeholders.
“We must also invest in our women, protect them and give them opportunity to have access to Family Planning,” the UNFPA official said. (NAN)
MS/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

UNFPA recommends FP as first touch-point for benefiting from demographic dividend

UNFPA recommends FP as first touch-point for benefiting from demographic dividend
By Esenvosa Izah
Planning
Lagos, May 10, 2018 (NAN) Dr Dienne Keita, the UNFPA Country Representative in Nigeria, 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)
EEI/VIV/MST
Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Demographic Dividend: NPopC canvasses investments in youths

Demographic Dividend: NPopC canvasses investments in youths
By Esenvosa Izah and Vivian Ihechu
Population
Lagos, May 10, 2018 (NAN) The Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Mr Eze Duruiheoma, has called for massive investment in youths for Nigeria to reap maximum benefits from its demographic dividend.
Duruiheoma made this appeal at the “1st Private Sector Conference on Harnessing Demographic Dividend in Nigeria” organised by NPC and other development partners in Lagos.
The theme of the conference is: “The Role of the Private Sector in Harnessing Demographic Dividend in Nigeria”.
“The bulk of the country’s population is young with about half under the age of 35 years and characterised by high dependency ratios and unemployment.
“Accelerated changes in this age structure and decline in dependency ratio will result in potential economic growth and human development called demographic dividend due to increased labour income and savings.
“However, although the country has experienced sustained economic growth in the past decade, almost two in every three people are still poor.
“Nigeria, therefore, needs accelerated growth to reduce poverty and inequality, and improve living standards,” he said.
The chairman also said that strategic investment to lower fertility, mortality, dependency ratio, consumption and increase income and savings were of paramount significance to harnessing demographic dividend.
According to him, demographic transition that yields demographic dividend can only be achieved through investments in health education and jobs for young people.
“One strategy that can contribute to this process is investments in private enterprise,” he said.
Duruiheoma said that the commission was committed to working toward the realisation of demograhic dividend in line with its constitutional mandate.
He said that attaining the goals of demographic dividend required the availability of accurate and up-to-date data on the population size and age distribution of the country.
According to him, this is to to track progress made and identify areas of improvements.
“The commission will live up to this responsibility through the conduct of censuses and specialised surveys,” the chairman said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference aims at taking a holistic look at the challenges and opportunities in implementing the Nigeria Road Map on Harnessing Demographic Dividend through private sector investment in young people.
Some of the objectives include to increase the understanding of harnessing demographic dividend among the private sector organisations and the potential impact it would have on Nigeria’s development.
Others include to create a call to action led by private sector to promote investment in harnessing demographic dividend and to leverage on the foum and create a private sector alliance on harnessing demographic dividend in Nigeria. (NAN)
EEI/VIV/MST
Edited by Vivian Ihechu/Muhammad Suleiman Tola