Nigerian Govt Launches Birth Policy to Slow Population Growth

President Muhammadu Buhari has launched the Revised National Policy on Population for Sustainable Development, stressing the need for urgent measures to address Nigeria's high fertility rate, through expanding access to modern contraceptive methods across the country.

He said that its overall goal was to improve the quality of life and standards of living of all Nigerians, which remained one of the major aspirations of his government. Nigeria's population is the largest in Africa, seventh globally, and among the few whose fertility is still growing. More than 72% of the country's residents are younger than 30, while half of the female population are in the reproductive age group of 15 to 49 years, Buhari said. 

Buhari expressed confidence that the data generated from the forthcoming census, will provide all the information needed for the successful implementation of the new policy. In June 2021, the United Nations published a report indicating that Nigeria's population had increased to 211 million.