Nigeria’s President Buhari task national policy institute participants of framework on population growth

By Raymond Gukas, Jos

President Muhammadu Buhari has tasked participate of the Senior Executive Course 42, 2020 of the National Institute Institute for Policy and strategic  Studies, (NIPSS), to come up with strategic plans towards population management in their research.

He spoke on the occasion of the inauguration of the SEC 42 participants at the NIPSS in Jos, Plateau state.

Represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, he noted that “it is estimated that Nigeria’s population in 2050 will be about 543 million. Clearly this population size will be more of a burden than an asset, unless there is an appropriate and commensurate growth in the economy to take care of the growing population.”

According to him, it was in this direction that government expects that at the end of the Course, “you will provide solutions to such issues as the existing gaps in the institutional, legal and policy
frameworks for human capital development and how these frameworks can be strengthened to make them more responsive to the challenges of population growth.”

Osibanjo who spoke through  Folashade Yemi-Esan, Head of Service of the federation disclosed that over the years, “successive governments including this Administration, have done much to address these challenges. In the past, policy response might not have been borne out of hard evidence and this could account for lack of success in achieving specified objectives. It is a fundamental truth that Nigeria’s population growth rate is pretty high, he lamented.

“This Administration is determined to fashion out appropriate policy response to the challenges inherent in a rapid population growth without corresponding expansion in socioeconomic and physical infrastructure to
bring about appropriate equilibrium. As you are aware, one of the cardinal objectives of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), a fundamental policy thrust of this Administration, is investing in the Nigerian people. This is consistent with the demand for human capital development to redirect the population growth from negative path to positive path. Human capital development involves creating the necessary environment for Nigerians, especially the youthful component, to acquire relevant knowledge, skills and competences that can help grow a healthy, productive and progressive Nigerian society” he stressed.

“It is globally recognised that failure to develop human capital will lead to inability to compete economically and widen the socioeconomic gap between the minority haves and the majority haves-not that could bring about severe social dislocation with all the catastrophic consequences for the society, including undermining the foundation of civil society and our democratic order.

“Human capital development, all over the world, brings about high life expectancy and an efficient and productive work force, which are critical success factors in the enterprise of building a vibrant, productive and resilient national economy.

“The Federal Government has high expectations of the nominees of Senior Executive Course No. 42, 2020, given the critical role of human capital development as a response mechanism to rapid population growth in our national economy.

“You should research carefully into this theme in order to proffer policy options that will enable Government fashion out appropriate responses to the challenge of rapid population growth and slow pace of human capital development. A well-articulated human capital development can in itself, be an effective antidote to exponential population growth.”

The administration, he said was strongly committed to ensuring that the exponential population growth rate of Nigeria does not have a negative impact on the Nigerian society, noting that  such negative outcomes, such as unemployment, underemployment, growing crime rate etc could be kept within tolerable limit with evidence-based planning.

Earlier, the Director-General of NIPSS, Professor Habu S. Galadima said the theme for 2020 was “Population Growth and Human Capital Development in Nigeria and Opportunities ” have been structured into six sub theme Namely

They are,  Understanding population growth and human development, Trends in population growth and human capital development in Nigeria, frameworks for managing population growth and human capital development in Nigeria, Population growth and human capital development in Nigeria, challenges and opportunities, Population growth and human capital development comparative analysis and Population growth in Nigeria policy options and strategies.

Prof Galadima said these sub theme are located within the NIPSS extant courses modules which encompass subjects such as leadership,policy and strategy, understanding the Nigerian state leadership policy, strategy, research methodology.

In administering the oath Justice A. Ashoms who represented the chief judge of plateau state charge the participants to take the oath seriously and work for the benefit of the country and they should use this opportunity wisely to impact positively to the society at large.

The representative of the governor of plateau state the head of service Azi Izang mni in a good will message said the government will provide adequate security and also cooperate with the institution as well as developmental project such as good roads and also wish the participants a happy stay as the study.