Going by the recent figures released by the National Population Commission (NPC) in its 2008 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) Bayelsa State is top in fertility rate amongst the six Niger Delta States.

The report was made public at the National Dissemination Seminar organised by the NPC in Port Harcourt on Monday.

A breakdown of the report indicate that Bayelsa State has an annual fertility rate of 5.8 percent followed by Cross River State with 5.4 percent.

Edo State follows behind Cross River with 5.3 per cent, followed by Delta 4.5 per cent, Rivers 4.3 per cent and Akwa-Ibom 4.0 per cent.

The report indicate that women in Nigeria have an average of about six children per woman ranging from 4.7 in urban areas to 6.3 in rural areas.

According to the report, “fertility has not changed since the 2003 NDHS. Fertility varies dramatically by zone. Women in the South West zone have an average of 4.5 children compared with 7.3 children per women in the North-West zone”.

At the national level however the figure shows that fertility is put at 5.7, about 0.1 per cent below that of Bayelsa.

Also, going by the total fertility rate by zones North West tops with 7.3 per cent followed by North-East with 7.2 per cent. South –West is the least with 4.5 per cent.

The report further stated that, “fertility also varies with mother’s education and economic status”. Hence women who have more than secondary education have an average of 2.9 children, while women with no education have 7.3 children.

Frowning at the high teenage childbearing in the country, the report indicate that the menace is high in the North West with 45 per cent followed by North East with 39 per cent.

South-East had the least teenage childbearing rate with 8 per cent following by South-West with 9 per cent, while South-South follows with 12 per cent.

Adding the report said, “women with no education are much more likely to have began childbearing before age 20 than women with secondary or higher education”.