Have you ever felt like getting a job or medical care as a Nigerian is a big struggle? As there are 218–226 million people in Nigeria, we are the most populated country in Africa, and that number is expected to grow to 400 million by 2050. With the country’s growth, there are lots of energy, but it places demands on resources and workplaces, leaving young Nigerians confined to hard times. Introducing the National Population Policy, which aims to control population growth and promote development by using family planning and reproductive health care. Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, new actions such as conducting the 2025 census and helping youth are steps towards transforming this challenge into a benefit. Managing population growth in Nigeria can support young people to encourage and lead economic advancement. Even so, tough attitudes in some cultures, lack of funding, and problems with data can delay progress. It looks at how Tinubu’s direction will help young Nigerians become important members of the future by passing useful laws. Is it possible to make Nigeria’s population a major strength? We should see what happens.
Background & Policy Objectives
Founded in 2004 and updated in 2019, Nigeria’s Population Policy works to control the nation’s fast population growth, which has been 2.6% each year. Nigeria’s youth population makes up most of the population, and its high fertility rate causes pressure on resources for young people. The policy tries to reduce the number of children to four per family, help with reproductive health, and to make sure population growth fits with sustainable development. It also helps with the global goals of SDG 3 (Health) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality), working to improve health, education, and jobs.
Since Tinubu was elected, the policy is now being emphasized once more. In 2025, Tinubu formed an eight-member team whose job was to prepare for a long-required national census, which would provide accurate information for planning. The initiative from First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s Renewed Hope teams up with the National Population Commission (NPC) and UNICEF to make certain that all children are registered and able to use vital services. The result is that young people in Nigeria must prepare better for jobs, schooling, and healthcare. With data and youth empowerment as priorities, Tinubu’s government wants to use the policy to help progress, although implementation is essential.
Family Planning and Reproductive Health
To support the National Population Policy, family planning helps keep unintended births to a minimum and works to decrease maternal mortality (512 per 100,000 live births). Although worldwide, about half of women use modern contraceptives, in Nigeria, only 1 in 6 women do, which means that many still have unmet family planning needs. It increases access to contraception, youth health clinics, and sexual health knowledge for Nigerian youth, letting them make their own decisions.
Bridge that gap is a key goal for Tinubu’s administration. The Renewed Hope Initiative, started in 2024, works with the NPC and UNICEF so births are registered electronically and kids can receive healthcare and education. The First Lady highlighted that registering each birth is the first stage in counting every child in Nigeria and supports SDG 16.9 (legal identity for all). They open up healthcare to many people, mainly in locations where there are not many youth services available. Young Nigerians can access reproductive health education through mobile apps and community clinics, which are helping to overcome taboos about contraception.
As a result, young women can reduce their risks during pregnancy and decide what happens in their lives. For young men, they teach how to support equality between genders. When families use family planning, Tinubu’s government can lower the risk of childbirth and help young people create healthy families which opens up more resources for schools and jobs.
Development Implications
Even with 3.5 million new job-seeking Nigerians each year, the employment rate stays at 33%. A lack of space in schools and little money spent on hospitals (the health budget is 5% of GDP) prevents young people from reaching their potential. Problems in Lagos, like overpopulation and 38.9% poverty (87 million people), clearly show the pressure being placed on the country. If nothing is done, these problems could become greater by 2050, when Nigeria’s population is predicted to reach 400 million.
A properly designed population policy might lead to a demographic dividend, where more people of working age support economic expansion. Within the Renewed Hope Skills Acquisition Programme, young people in Nigeria are taught tech, construction and creative skills, in line with what the policy aims to do. Digital transformation led by Mr. Modi through broadband upgrades and the digital economy policy is meant to provide tech jobs to the youth. If Nigeria helps its young people, education and health systems reach a good standard, the country’s large youth group could support economic growth.
The policy helps reduce poverty and protect the environment by motivating smaller families which reduces resource strain. Young Nigerians can gain more access to education, work and affordable care which greatly supports the SDGs focused on health and gender equality. The emphasis on correct data during the 2025 census by Tinubu will make it possible to channel resources where they are most needed.
Challenges in Implementation
The population policy introduces a number of difficulties to deal with. Northern Nigeria is known for cultural and religious beliefs that make many people feel it is normal to have plenty of children, and many reject using methods to control the number of children they have. Due to the low share of public health (5%) in the country’s GDP (WHO recommends 15%), it is very difficult for rural families to access family planning services. Since the last census happened some time ago and the data are unreliable, getting everything ready for hurricane season is difficult. Tinubu said the country has 240 million people, yet not everybody agreed, and the suggestions were 218 million to 225 million.
The administration headed by Tinubu is handling these obstacles. In April 2024, the committee for the 2025 census was created so they could provide accurate data for planning, and they intend to achieve this with the aid of modern technology. But the committee struggles to get the money it needs because resources need to be found both at home and abroad. To succeed in the past, cultural resistance used community leaders as partners. The rules have caused delays in young Nigerians receiving both work and support, but Tinubu stressing youth vocational training and digital techniques gives relief.
54.3% of Nigerians now live in cities, so these areas require attention because residents can make use of more opportunities. To help the policy, youth in Nigerian rural areas should have access to mobile health care and online classes. If there is a lack of steady financial resources and steady government involvement, these problems might challenge what the administration wants to achieve.
Opportunities & Recommendations
Tinubu’s administration offers opportunities to harness Nigeria’s youthful population; learning platforms at NIPSS empower youth with skills for a tech-driven economy. The 2025 census will provide data to plan for schools, hospitals, and jobs, directly benefiting young Nigerians. Partnerships with organizations like UNICEF and the World Bank can expand family planning access, reducing fertility rates and easing resource pressure.
Quick Recommendations:
- Support Healthcare: Invest a minimum of 5% of the household budget in healthcare, mainly to aid family planning and improve health services for rural areas.
- Use social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram to involve Nigerian youth in discussions about reproductive health, making use of their experience with technology.
- Coordinate with leaders of religious and traditional communities to ensure that family planning is understood as freedom, not a way to control population sizes.
- Make sure the 2025 national census provides accurate population data that can be used for effective planning and policy decisions.
- Promote Women’s Empowerment: Allow young women to go to school and work, which can reduce poverty and the high number of births.
Young Nigerians can play a role by joining community health campaigns or advocating for policy funding on platforms like Twitter. These steps align with Tinubu’s vision of a productive, youthful population driving Nigeria’s growth.
Conclusion
With the National Population Policy that he has revitalized, President Tinubu creates the possibility for young Nigerians to find better jobs, better health, and greater opportunities. Reaching out to families with family planning, improving reproductive health, and setting up for the 2025 census form the basis for the future of development. Yet, the advancement of science is endangered by ongoing cultural opposition and not enough resources, which should be dealt with as a group effort.
Young Nigerians are what make the nation strong, and they can create change through talking on social media, helping others in their communities, or aiding the effort for accurate census registration. Promoting digital growth and helping youth offer hope, as long as people from all walks of life join in. Let’s check that every Nigerian is captured in the census numbers and also forms part of the nation. Talk about what is happening, know what’s going on, and push for the changes that will drive national progress as our population grows. “A stable population is the foundation of a stable nation.” Get involved in bringing positive changes.
