By Emma Ujah, Abuja Bureau Chief
The federal government has declared the nation’s growth rate as unsustainable and that couples should take steps to reduce the number of they are to born.

Responding to concerns over the the unfettered population growth and the estimates 450 million population by 2050, the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zaina Ahmed, said that the federal government has identified the high population growth rate as a risk factor , while preparing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

She spoke at the Public Consultation with the media, Civil Society Organisations, Organised Private Sector and the Public on the 2018-2020 Medium Term Economic Framewrok (MTEF), in Abuja, Thursday.

Her words, “We can see that population growth is clearly higher than economic growth.

“We have a fertility rate of 5.7 – 1,000. On the average, one woman has about 5.5 children. It is not sustainable. Times are hard. Resources are limited. Families must look for ways and means on how to reduce the number of children ”

Earlier, the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, announced the administration’s plan to restore the Export Expansion Grant in order to boost exports and enable the nation to earn more foreign exchange from the non-oil sectors of the economy.

He also said that steps were being taken to increase the Value Added Tax on luxury items.

Sen. Udoma could not, however, state when the policy would take effect, saying that consultations were still on-going with the federal legislators and state governments.
Details later…