Nigerians’ love for “Ankara” material is undisputed. Ankara has been in fashion for as long as one can remember. It was always a thing of joy meeting some non-Nigerians outside the shores of the country admiring our locally made fabric and requesting that you get them some when next you come visiting.
My late uncle, a trader who specialised on Nigerian fabric, used to travel to Kaduna and Kano to purchase the wrappers for sale. He used to tell the story of how busy the numerous textile mills were with thousands of men and women working there and other allied industries located all over the place. The business was so lucrative that from the proceeds he was able to train his five children up to university level, among other achievements.
Painfully, today, the story has changed. The textile mills are the shadows of themselves. Like many other manufacturing companies across the country, they are now moribund with little or no activities going on in them and the workers have since rejoined the labour market. Our precious ankara materials are being produced in China and sent to Nigeria and other parts of the world. So, a friend in Kigali, Rwanda, who used to ask for the fabric to be sent to her from Nigeria has no need for that again.
Of course, China’s dominance in the textile industry is not restricted to Nigeria or Africa. Reports have it that China is the leading exporter of textiles and clothes in the world, taking advantage of her huge population. The only difference however, is that while high quality materials are sent to America, Europe and other places, the inferior quality are shipped to Nigeria and other parts of Africa.
However, my interest today is not on the quality of the goods sent to us from China because we can only be given what we asked for. My concern is how China, a country of over one billion people, the most populous country in the world, has used the huge population to her advantage.
According to a published white paper of the Government of China captioned, “ China’s Population and Development in the 21st Century, faced with the challenge of huge population, weak economic foundation with relatively inadequate resources per capita”, the Chinese government formulated and implemented a population policy which conforms to China’s reality and has greatly contributed to the stabilisation of the national and the world population and to the promotion of human development and progress. The Chinese government is willing to continue its efforts together with the international community to practically solve the problem of population and development”
Of course, China has her own drawbacks, particularly on the issues of human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of association and all that. Her Communist system of government is not to be envied. But as per being able to manage and maximise her population, we must give it to her.
Last Sunday, July 11, was World Population Day and the question posed by many analysts and several concerned Nigerians was what is the Nigerian government doing about the nation’s soaring population? From a population of 190 million in 2017, to 211 million as at Wednesday July 14, according to Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data, with the potential of surging higher if unchecked.
Not a few persons have expressed worries that poor management of the huge human capital could escalate the number of out-of-school children, poverty, hunger, high rate of insecurity, unemployment and many other challenges already facing the nation.
However, China’s experience has laid credence to the findings of recent studies that population is not a problem per say, rather its poor management is. Other countries like Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea have skillfully and productively managed their dense populations.
Network marketers will brag that 500 orders are placed for the purchase of products via the online markets every minute in Nigeria. That shows how big the Nigerian market is, driven by her excessive population. 
This high demand in goods and services will stimulate investment and production, leading to creation of jobs, taxes will be generated and, if properly utilised, will lead to better life for the people.
Looking at the example of China again, many countries are trooping to China for the production of virtually everything because of the inexpensive manpower. This can also be the case in Nigeria and there is  no doubt that  when the majority of our young ones are gainfully engaged, the rate of insecurity, kidnapping and other forms of crime associated with the youth in the country will be reduced.
 It is good that entrepreneurship is now taught as a compulsory subject in many higher institutions in the country. It shouldn’t end in theory. Let the syllabus be drawn in such a way that the students will go for several months of industrial training that will enable them to stand on their own upon graduation instead of searching for unavailable white-collar jobs.
Records from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) have it that 13.9 million Nigerian youths are unemployed. This huge number of vibrant, talented young men and women are viable tools for the insecurity bedeviling the nation. What a better way of profitably engaging them than through technological training and support for the ones so disposed. This way, these young men and women can be turned into technicians, craftsmen, artisans and tradesmen who will contribute to national development through development of local fabrications, machines and tools for industrial use.
One thinks it is high time the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the Ministry of Science and Technology and other relevant bodies harness all these raw talents and nurture them for the good of the country.
It is also important that attention be paid to the technical colleges in the country to ensure that the main goal of technical institutions, which is, to provide career-oriented training is not jettisoned. According to the Nigerian national policy on education, technical education should be concerned with qualitative technological human resources development directed towards a national pool of skilled and self-reliant craftsmen, technicians and technologists in technical and vocational education fields.  The question is, how has the curriculum, government policies, embezzlement of education development funds, corruption and other challenges faced by these technical colleges impeded the actualisation of the objectives and what measures are being taken to make things right?
There is no doubt that if the right steps are taken, our large population will be to the advantage of all and sundry.

By: Calista Ezeaku