World Population Day, instituted by the United Nations, UN, is observed annually on July 11. Its goal is to raise awareness about the challenges and issues surrounding rapidly growing populations across the globe. The UN established this day to remind nations of the significance of understanding and addressing these population-related concerns.

This year, the theme for World Population Day is centred on how to safeguard the health and rights of women and applying the brakes on COVID-19. The theme aims to shed light on the importance of ensuring reproductive health and rights for everyone, particularly our womenfolk as the COVID-19 pandemic recedes. It emphasises the need for accessible healthcare services, education and empowerment, particularly in developing nations where population growth is escalating rapidly.

The major issues facing the world’s population today are multifaceted. Inequality, racism, conflicts, disruptive technology, and diseases all present significant challenges. Inequality and racism widen the gaps in healthcare access, educational opportunities, and overall quality of life. Conflicts disrupt communities and people’s lives, leading to displacement, instability, and difficulties in providing basic services. Disruptive technology, while beneficial in many ways, can also contribute to job loss and unemployment in various sectors. Diseases, as the recent COVID-19 pandemic highlighted, can cause immense suffering and strain on healthcare systems.

To limit the world’s soaring population growth, comprehensive and integrated approaches are essential. These include promoting and investing in reproductive health and family planning services, ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment, expanding access to quality education, and addressing socio-economic disparities. Governments, international organisations and local communities must work together to provide sustainable solutions.

For Nigeria, controlling population growth and harnessing its potential for development is crucial. The country currently faces a rapidly growing population that poses significant challenges in terms of healthcare, education, and infrastructure. To address this, Nigeria should prioritise accessible and comprehensive family planning services, ensuring that reproductive health services, contraceptives, and education are readily available and affordable to all.

We should promote gender equality, provide education for all, empower women to make informed choices about their reproductive health and invest in healthcare. Resources should be allocated to improve healthcare facilities, increase access to quality education, and eradicate poverty.

It also involves the promotion of economic opportunities, encouraging entrepreneurship, creating employment opportunities, and providing skills training to empower the population economically. Effective population management requires putting in place policies that create an enabling environment and enforce regulations regarding population growth and development.

Nigeria has a young population that, if properly educated, empowered, and provided with opportunities, can become a powerful driving force for development. By investing in the well-being and rights of its people, Nigeria can transform its population into a valuable asset rather than a burden.

Let’s make our population our valuable asset.