To implement the recommendations of the 2023 State of the World Population Report in the country, the Federal Government has promised to work with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), National Population Commission (NPC) and other critical stakeholders
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Engr. Adebiyi Olufunso stated this on Thursday in Abuja on the occasion of the launch of the State of the World Report [SWOP], 2023 edition.
Olufunso said the launch of the Report was timely and that the Federal Government through his Ministry with other stakeholders would implement its recommendations.
The Permanent Secretary was represented by Dr. John Ovuoraye, Director, Gender, Adolescent School Health and Elderly, said that this year’s State of the World report with the theme, “8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities – The case for Rights and Choices,” also reminds everyone that complete health is not merely the absence of illness, rather, the state of complete mental, physical, financial and psychological wellbeing of every man and woman of a nation.
He expressed optimism that the report would take account of “the cost of denying women and girls their rights and right to make informed choices, the cost on the health of the individual, the stability and wellbeing of every family, cost on the economic backdrop of the society and the underdevelopment of the nation.”
Ovuoraye noted that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 5 on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls, in the 2030 Agenda for SDGs has the elimination of violence against women as a key target.
According to him, “The ultimate focus of every programme should be on empowering women and girls to make informed choices regarding their sexual reproductive health.
“Indeed, ensuring that everyone has the means and resources necessary to live a dignified and fulfilled life, especially women and girls, is of paramount importance to the development of the nation,” he said.
Ms. Ulla Mueller, UNFPA Resident Representative in Nigeria, in her presentation said the world has now reached and surpassed a population of 8 billion people, marking a significant milestone in human development in areas such as medicine, science, health, agriculture, and education.
Mueller pointed out that the achievement is also accompanied by concerns and anxiety as the world faces various crises, such as climate change and mass displacement.
She noted that the 2023 UNFPA State of World Population Report, 8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: The Case for Rights and Choices,” aims to reshape the conventional understanding of population figures and calls on policymakers and the media to abandon sensationalised narratives about population booms and busts.
She added that the State of the World Population (SWOP) Report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication since 1978, noting that “Its aims is to bring the issues of population growth and demographic shifts into the mainstream of global attention, exploring the challenges and opportunities they present for international, regional, national and sub-national development in the effort not to leave anyone behind, and proposes recommendations to enhance the health, well-being, and rights of individuals and communities across the globe.”
Nasir Isa Kwarra, Chairman, NPC, said in view of the current and anticipated population growth, Nigeria stands to gain if significant and targeted investments are made in providing quality education that responds to the dynamics of the global labour market and which favours girls.
Kwarra underscored the need for girls to be kept in schools and protected from early/child/forced marriage.
He said, “Nigeria should make much more investments to provide adequate and affordable health care including family planning; strengthen our health systems at the community level; create decent jobs/employment and entrepreneurship for youth; promote women empowerment and guarantee safety and security.
“When we achieve these, then economic growth will be accelerated, opportunities for harnessing the demographic dividend will open, our population will be well managed; then Nigeria will achieve enduring peace and progress.”
The NPC boss assured that the Commission would continue to bring to the fore, the importance of putting people at the centre of development fundamentally to achieve good governance through the platform of Population Management and the implementation of the National Population Policy.
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