The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said that the religious leaders have a role to play in the implementation of development policies and programmes.
Osinbajo stressed the need for the country to take full benefit of its population which is estimated to be around 192 million.
The Vice President who spoke on Thursday in Abuja at a programme on Harnessing Demographic Dividends for Sustainable Development in Nigeria, “The Role of Muslim Religious Leaders”.
The two-day programme was put together by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with National Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs. About 200 Islamic religious leaders from across the country is expected to converge at the forum.
The overall objective of the forum is to enhance the capacity of religious leaders to advocate for policies and programmes towards harnessing DD in Nigeria.
In his key note address, Osinbajo explained that demographic dividends could be harnessed if appropriate and timely actions are put in place.
To avoid the time bomb scenario as a result of population explosion, Osinbajo called for urgent steps by all stakeholders.
He said: “To avoid the time-bomb scenario, we must act with urgency to build an economy that can support that population, provide jobs and economic opportunity, education and healthcare, hope and optimism.
“The successful implementation of the Road Map requires all-inclusive and robust stakeholders’ engagements/participation such that this Consultative Forum offers and we have seen already that there are several ideas that we need internalize, several policy measures that we need to understand in order to better inform the various publics that we influence.
“Relevant demographics show the prospects and potentials of a prosperous future for Nigeria, if appropriate and timely actions are in place. Nigeria’s population size is currently estimated at over 198 million, the largest in Africa.
“About 63 percent of the population is under the age of 25 years, 33 percent between 10 and 24, and 54.8 percent of working age (15-64). 51 percent of the female population are in their reproductive ages (ages 15-49).
And it is estimated that by 2050 Nigeria will be the 3rd most populous country in the world, after India and China.
Of course, the reverse side of Nigeria’s rich demographic potential, is the much-talked-about ‘population time bomb,’ or as some would say demographic threats.
“Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has remained high over the last three decades and currently stand at 5.5 births per woman; modern Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPRm) is very low at 10 percent with 16 percent unmet need for Family Planning (FP). Twenty-three percent of our adolescents (ages 15-19 years) have commenced childbearing and Child Marriage still persists at 18 percent.
“These figures vary across the North and the South, for example, Total Fertility Rate is lowest in the South West (4.5) and highest in the North East (6.3) and North West (6.7), respectively with Bauchi at 8.1 and Sokoto at 7.0.
&In effect the gaining an economic advantage from our population size and make up involves a national consensus around some ideas. The first is that the resources of families and of countries are finite. They are not limitless. So it is the business of heads of families at the micro level and governments at the macro level to prioritize the education and health of their families, but in so doing recognize that we can invest more per child with more deliberate planning. ”
He also added, “The truth of the matter is that the work of ensuring that a large population a significant proportion of which is poor, the working of getting that population out of poverty is a daily and a deliberate work. It is one that involves planning, commitment and managing the resources ins such a way that everyone benefits from it, it is one that requires fiscal discipline.”
He also outlined what the government has being doing to removing the majority from poverty,which include the N-power programme amongst others.
On the role of religious leaders, he said “You play very vital roles in the social, cultural and economic lives of the people. You shape attitudes, opinions and behaviors of large numbers of our people, and there is no real progress or transformation that can happen in any society and our society without your participation, involvement or endorsement.
“More than ever before you are needed as voices of change, in everything from improving maternal, newborn and child health in Nigeria, to encouraging investment in education, particularly of women and girls, educating citizens on the importance of family planning for births spacing, and advocating against early/child marriage.
“Very importantly, you also have a responsibility to hold governments to account, especially holding government to account in managing the resources faithfully and not stealing the resources of the country, and ensuring that the resources go round and met the needs of the people, at all levels – local, State and Federal.
On his part, the minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole said “Our approach to engage Muslim religious leaders, faith-based and community leaders to promote and facilitate the dialogue on Roadmap to harnessing Nigeria’s demographic dividend, SRH and gender equality, responsible fertility and the empowerment of young people at all levels is consistent with the broader strategy to ensure Nigeria harnesses the dividend of a demographic transition.
“Available data indicates that working with religious leaders to improve maternal, new born and child healthis an important cost effective and sustainable strategy in disseminating MNCH information across a large population and is critical to persuading communities to change established behaviour and attitudes. Other evidences abound of tested interventions on the role of Religious Leaders in Nigeria that has led to improved perception on family planning and improved spousal communication.
“To this end, the Nigerian government through the Federal Ministry of Health and in collaboration with UNFPA and numerous other partners is calling on all Religious Leaders to help in making the changes that would translate into positive contributions to Nigeria’s economic development through investment in Youths and Young people that will fast track our harnessing the Demographic Dividend.”
He therefore assured the religious leaders of the support of the Ministry’ of Health.
