SUNRISE NEWS, Lagos, Aug 13, 2020 An international Non-Governmental Organisation by name Blossom Africa Initiative has called on Nigeria government to start harnessing the country’s demographic dividend for the development of the country.
The call was made in a statement released by the President of the organisation, Mr Temitope Musowo in commemoration of the 2020 World Youth’s Day.
Mr. Musowo posited that for Nigeria as a country to attain national development and to meet the ambitious target set by the United Nations referred to as the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (17 SDGs), Nigeria need to start taking advantage of her demographic dividend.
“Nigeria with an estimated population of over 200 million people, largely comprised of young people, with over 50% of the population currently below the age 24, and about 20% of that demographic between the ages of 15 and 24 years.
With an estimated growth rate of 2.6%, which means this youthful population still keep growing at a fast rate, a pointer to a higher proportion of a working population.
However, for the government to take full advantage of this youthful population, the government need to give special consideration for the youth in her policies and pragramme” he said.
The president also added that for long, Nigeria has not been taking full advantage of her demographic dividend but this year’s World Youth’s Day provides the country with another opportunity to start looking in that direction.
He explained that harnessing the demographic dividend requires concerted and strategic efforts on the part of the government to invest more in education, health, governance and economic policies geared towards youth empowerment and so on.
“Young people are integral to the success of harnessing the demographic dividend and so it is important to protect and improve the rights of the youth to quality education, good and affordable healthcare.
The economic benefits of a youthful population like we have in Nigeria remained enormous, it ranges from increase in the ratio of dependents to working adults which will result in more productive population, increase in labour supply and saving rates
This will also guarantee an increase in manpower available to contribute to growth and development which the government we cannot afford to lose continually, that is why Blossom Africa Initiative as an organisation is using the occasion of this year’s World Youth’s Day to call on Nigerian government to start harnessing the dividend”, he concluded.