June 28, (THEWILL) – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria’s population is becoming a liability due to its improper management, stressing that except there is urgent intervention, the nation may be declared the third most populous nation in the world.
Obasanjo, who spoke at a mentoring session for students of some selected schools across the country, organised by Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (STAGE), said Nigeria’s increasing population must be properly managed to engender national development.
The event, tagged: “Raising the Next Wave of Innovative Leaders Through Entrepreneurship,” at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the former President declared that no nation can attain the desired development without accurate population data.
Speaking further about the situation that he says has slowed down national development, Obasanjo expressed worry over the management of the population of the nation.
He said some countries, like China, India and others with large populations, have harnessed their sizes to espouse socio-economic development, urging the Nigerian government to work towards harnessing the potential of the country’s large population.
He said: “We have moved from 120 million to over 200 million. We have added the population of France to our population and if we continue the way we are going, by the year 2050 we will be the third-largest country in the world.
“If we still continue, by the year 3000, we would be the largest country in the world.
“What are we going to do to handle that, how are we going to handle that population? If we do not start getting it right now, we will not get it right by the year 2050.”
Arguing that the population could either be an asset or a liability, the elder statesman noted that if the nation does not make adequate preparations, then the country will pay for its over-population both now and in the future.
“What we need to do is education about population management. Some people don’t like saying family planning, but whatever you do, you must manage your population to the benefit of all that is living within your nation,” he said.
While calling for more action in population management, Obasanjo charged the young students to uphold the virtues of integrity, honesty and good moral standing, to take them to their respective chosen careers in life.
According to him, efforts must be geared towards nurturing a new set of business leaders through entrepreneurship to tackle some of the economic challenges in the country.
“Mentorship and motivation of this nature may just be the tonic that will fire the necessary patriotism for national development in these budding leaders of tomorrow,” Obasanjo said.
While fielding questions from the students on mentorship, the former President highlighted service to the fatherland, integrity, loyalty, and good moral standing as some of the virtues that could sustain them in their career paths.
Speaking earlier at the event, the Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Young-Chae, who equally raised concerns over the growing population of Nigeria without a corresponding economic growth, however, promised his home country’s harmonious bilateral cooperation, including entrepreneurship development for young Nigerians.
Chairman of STAGE, Agwu Amogu, disclosed that the programme was initiated at the California State University, USA in 2002 and currently operational in over 32 countries across all the continents of the world.
He said STAGE has offered secondary school and young people a hands-on learning process on how to create wealth, help others and their communities
According to him, population management must come to the fore, especially in the face of the geometric population explosion without a corresponding socio-economic development.
