Opinion
Problem With Nigeria’s Population

Nigeria’s population has become an embarrassment that cannot be hidden anymore. A population time bomb is dangling on the country waiting to detonate unless urgent preventive measures are taken. A similar fear was equally expressed by the Director of Monetary Policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Moses Tule, at the 40th Annual Conference of Nigerian Statistical Association in Abuja.
The director stated the obvious when he said that Nigeria’s population had become a liability and would remain so unless it expands its economic base by stimulating the economy and producing the needed goods and services to sustain it and create jobs.
Surprisingly, while population is growing at the rate of 3.5 percent, economic growth rate is a paltry 2.5 percent. Common sense should sound it to anyone that our situation is quite unpalatable. On no account should population register a higher growth level than the economy. This development is called “negative growth”.
Several figures have been bandied or speculated as Nigeria’s population. Some have said the population is 150 million while others project 170 million. But a United Nations population estimate in March 2016 put Nigeria’s size at 186 million and the 7th most populous country in the world.
The same United Nations survey stated 18 as the median age. This indicates that the country has a largely youth and dynamic population which has potentiality for great attainments if harnessed and impelled. But going by the UN figure, it is explicit that those who put our population at between 150 and 170 million have grossly underestimated it.
A situation where population grows at a geometric progression while the economy grows arithmetically bespeaks doom. Our predicament is further worsened by our dismal performance in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, MDG. We are unable to meet the basic requirement to be regarded as a nation with a growing economy.
We have failed in the provision of food security, basic education, shelter, job creation and poverty eradication. Our inability to provide infrastructure and social services in proportion to our huge population is glaring for all to see.
Nothing could describe our perverse condition than the disproportionate number of applicants who apply for job vacancies. For instance, a few years ago, the Nigeria Police declared 10,000 job vacancies and more than a million applications were received. These shortfalls speak volumes of our population and planlessness.
For most countries, huge population symbolizes strength. Unfortunately, many people in this part of the world view large population as economic encumbrance. Both China and India have, however, debunked this position with their huge and creative population.
If large population is an economic evil, China would not have been great economically and technologically. At the last count, China was credited with the highest world reserve. If large population is less advantageous, India would not have been a leading manufacturing country and a destination for medical tourists.
The problem with Nigeria, therefore, is not its growing population. Rather, it is the lack of a productive one and a failure to plan. The current economic crunch has revealed that planlessness not population has brought us to our knees. If we prepared for the rainy day when crude oil sold for $140 per barrel we would not have been in this mess.
So, we have to do something not just about our growing size, but the quality of our population. First, we must take politics out of our census and conduct credible head count. It is sad indeed that Nigeria’s population is not based on presumptive census but on speculations by international organizations and individuals.
Second, we can improve the quality of our population by education. This is where the most populous countries in the world have got it right. They have educated and productive population that has proved to be viable economic asset to them.
Also, the segmentation of our population to determine the categories of citizens is imperative. For instance, we have to get precise figures of children in school, out of school, unemployed youths, the aged etc. beside the unverifiable figures that are being mooted?
Finally, the Nigerian government must invest massively in infrastructure as it has always promised to stimulate the economy and ensure the flow of liquidity. This will create jobs while the better part of the population will be productive. I believe a large population like ours can be an asset if it is economically viable and demographic.
Arnold Alalibo
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Restoring Order, Delivering Good Governance
The political atmosphere in Rivers State has been anything but calm in 2025. Yet, a rare moment of unity was witnessed on Saturday, June 28, when Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, appeared side by side at the funeral of Elder Temple Omezurike Onuoha, Wike’s late uncle. What could have passed for a routine condolence visit evolved into a significant political statement—a symbolic show of reconciliation in a state bruised by deep political strife.
The funeral, attended by dignitaries from across the nation, was more than a moment of shared grief. It became the public reflection of a private peace accord reached earlier at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. There, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu brought together Governor Fubara, Minister Wike, the suspended Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to chart a new path forward.
For Rivers people, that truce is a beacon of hope. But they are not content with photo opportunities and promises. What they demand now is the immediate lifting of the state of emergency declared in March 2025, and the unconditional reinstatement of Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Dr. Ngozi Odu, and all suspended lawmakers. They insist on the restoration of their democratic mandate.
President Tinubu’s decision to suspend the entire structure of Rivers State’s elected leadership and appoint a sole administrator was a drastic response to a deepening political crisis. While it may have prevented a complete breakdown in governance, it also robbed the people of their voice. That silence must now end.
The administrator, retired naval chief Ibok-Ette Ibas, has managed a caretaker role. But Rivers State cannot thrive under unelected stewardship. Democracy must return—not partially, not symbolically, but fully. President Tinubu has to ensure that the people’s will, expressed through the ballot, is restored in word and deed.
Governor Fubara, who will complete his six-month suspension by September, was elected to serve the people of Rivers, not to be sidelined by political intrigues. His return should not be ceremonial. It should come with the full powers and authority vested in him by the constitution and the mandate of Rivers citizens.
The people’s frustration is understandable. At the heart of the political crisis was a power tussle between loyalists of Fubara and those of Wike. Institutions, particularly the State House of Assembly, became battlegrounds. Attempts were made to impeach Fubara. The situation deteriorated into a full-blown crisis, and governance was nearly brought to its knees.
But the tide must now turn. With the Senate’s approval of a record ?1.485 trillion budget for Rivers State for 2025, a new opportunity has emerged. This budget is not just a fiscal document—it is a blueprint for transformation, allocating ?1.077 trillion for capital projects alone. Yet, without the governor’s reinstatement, its execution remains in doubt.
It is Governor Fubara, and only him, who possesses the people’s mandate to execute this ambitious budget. It is time for him to return to duty with vigor, responsibility, and a renewed sense of urgency. The people expect delivery—on roads, hospitals, schools, and job creation.
Rivers civil servants, recovering from neglect and under appreciation, should also continue to be a top priority. Fubara should continue to ensure timely payment of salaries, address pension issues, and create a more effective, motivated public workforce. This is how governance becomes real in people’s lives.
The “Rivers First” mantra with which Fubara campaigned is now being tested. That slogan should become policy. It must inform every appointment, every contract, every budget decision, and every reform. It must reflect the needs and aspirations of the ordinary Rivers person—not political patrons or vested interests.
Beyond infrastructure and administration, political healing is essential. Governor Fubara and Minister Wike must go beyond temporary peace. They should actively unite their camps and followers to form one strong political family. The future of Rivers cannot be built on division.
Political appointments, both at the Federal and State levels, must reflect a spirit of fairness, tolerance, and inclusivity. The days of political vendettas and exclusive lists must end. Every ethnic group, every gender, and every generation must feel included in the new Rivers project.
Rivers is too diverse to be governed by one faction. Lasting peace can only be built on concessions, maturity, and equity. The people are watching to see if the peace deal will lead to deeper understanding or simply paper over cracks in an already fragile political arrangement.
Wike, now a national figure as Minister of the FCT, has a responsibility to rise above the local fray and support the development of Rivers State. His influence should bring federal attention and investment to the state, not political interference or division.
Likewise, Fubara should lead with restraint, humility, and a focus on service delivery. His return should not be marked by revenge or political purges but by inclusive leadership that welcomes even former adversaries into the process of rebuilding the state.
“The people are no longer interested in power struggles. They want light in their streets, drugs in their hospitals, teachers in their classrooms, and jobs for their children. The politics of ego and entitlement have to give way to governance with purpose.
The appearance of both leaders at the funeral was a glimpse of what unity could look like. That moment should now evolve into a movement-one that prioritizes Rivers State over every personal ambition. Let it be the beginning of true reconciliation and progress.
As September draws near, the Federal government should act decisively to end the state of emergency and reinstate all suspended officials. Rivers State must return to constitutional order and normal democratic processes. This is the minimum requirement of good governance.
The crisis in Rivers has dragged on for too long. The truce is a step forward, but much more is needed. Reinstating Governor Fubara, implementing the ?1.485 trillion budget, and uniting political factions are now the urgent tasks ahead. Rivers people have suffered enough. It is time to restore leadership, rebuild trust, and finally put Rivers first.
By: Amieyeofori Ibim
Amieyeofori Ibim is former Editor of The Tide Newspapers, political analyst and public affairs commentator
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