Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Eze Duruiheoma, yesterday lamented that the Nigerian economy was incapable of supporting the nation’s population annual exponential growth rate of 3.2 per cent in terms of provision of basic infrastructures, employment opportunities and sufficient food.
Duruiheoma made this known in Abuja during a visit by participants of the National Security Training Seminar from Defence Intelligence Agency, where he observed that the components of human population impact directly on national security.
He noted that the security implications of Nigeria’s population were being manifested in the current challenges such as militancy in the Niger Delta, Boko Haram, conflicts between farmers, among others.
According to him, “All these require proper understanding of the population dynamics in terms of fertility, mortality and migration.
“Similarly, worsening unemployment and ignorance reinforce poverty and they pose serious security challenges”.
The NPC boss, however, noted that the commission’s data on occupation, education and structures of the population help the government to take informed decisions in the process of planned intervention in these areas.
The youth population, according to him, poses security challenges of unemployment, social vices and the breakdown of family values.
“Other security issues in the demographic profile of Nigeria include rural-urban migration declining availability of arable land as well as decay in social infrastructure,” he said.
He urged them to use their knowledge and experience to fashion out strategies and tactics for tackling the security challenges in the country.
In his response, leader of the delegation, Air Commodore Peter Uzodinma Charles (rtd) said population was very important to national building. He assured that they were partnering with other security agencies to provide solutions to capacity building.
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