The Historical Development of Nigeria’s Population Policy and its Perceived

Effects on Nigeria’s Culture and Society

Leanne Kym Jane Lozanes, 4SCL

Introduction

Nigeria is a country located in West Africa whose official name is the Federal

Republic of Nigeria. It is known at the “Giant of Africa” because it is considered as

the most populous country in Africa and seventh most populous country in the

world (Library of Congress – Federal Research Division, 2008b). Nigeria consists of

large ethnic groups such as Fulani/Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, etc. Its government is

federal, patterned from the United States; the executive power rests on the

president, legislative on the National Assembly and the judicatory power on the

Supreme Court of Nigeria. Ethnocentrism, tribalism and religious persecution has

influenced Nigeria’s government and politics. Their law is basically based on

common law, derived from colonial past and own development; customary law,

derived from indigenous traditional norms and practice; and Sharia law

predominantly in the Moslem north of the country.

Nigeria has been experiencing an explosive population growth, and one of the

highest growth and fertility rates in the world (United Nations, 2005). In 2006, the

birth rate was significantly higher than death rate (Library of Congress – Federal

Research Division, 2008a). It was also said that the general conditions in Nigeria are

poor in terms of low life expectancy, high HIV/AIDS prevalence rate and high infant

mortality rate. Nigeria also suffered from periodic outbreaks of cholera, malaria and

sleeping sickness. This implies the poor living condition in the country. As a way to

control this explosive population growth, the government of Nigeria drafted and

implemented its population policy in 1988. Nigeria’s crude birth rate is 38.78 births

per 1000 persons in the population; death rate is 13.2 deaths per 1000 persons in

the population; and -0.22 migrant/s per population net migration rate (CIA World

Factbook, 2012).

With this, the study aims to trace the historical background of Nigeria’s population

policy and find out its effects on Nigeria’s culture and society. Furthermore, it aims

to answer the following questions:

1) What is Nigeria’s Population Policy?

2) When and why was it implemented?

3) What were the existing tensions in Nigeria that led to the

development of its population policy?

3) How did the people of Nigeria react to it?

4) What are its effects to Nigeria’s government, culture, economy and

society?

5) What is its significance and implications to Nigeria’s demographic

identity?

Nigeria’s Population Policy: Revisited

Nigeria’s first population policy was crafted during the military administration of

General Ibrahim Babangida with Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti as the Minister of

Health in 1988. Its main goal was “to improve the standards of living, to promote

their health and welfare, especially through preventing premature deaths and

illnesses among high risk mothers and children; to achieve lower population growth

rates through reduction of birth rates by voluntary fertility regulation methods that

are compatible with the attainment of economic and social goals of the nation…”

(Nigeria, 1988). It was claimed that the policy was an outcome of an intensive

process of consultations and discussions involving different interest groups which

may not have included the cultural groups (Enang & Ushie, 2012).

In 2004, a revised version of the policy was published to answer the identified new

challenges that emerged from 1991 National Population Census, 1994 International

Conference on Pupulation and Development, 1999 HIV/AIDS Summit in Abuha,

Poverty and Food Security and the population environment-development nexus.

These affirmed that there is a strong relationship between population and health

(Enang & Ushie, 2012). It’s goal is to improve the quality of life and standards of

living of the people of Nigeria, to promote maternal, child and reproductive health,

achieve a lower population growth rate through the reduction of birth rates by

voluntary fertility regulation of population between urban and rural areas, to

prevent the causes and spread of HIV/AIDS and address the problems of internal

migration and spatial distribution of population.

Both population policies (1988 and 2004) targeted to reduce infant mortality rate,

maternal mortality rate and the spread of HIV/AIDS. It recognizes the

interdependence of population factors, social and economic development and

environmental issues and its significance to the achievement of sustainable

development in Nigeria.

Principles of Nigeria’s Population Policy (2004) (NIPSS, 2008)

Principle 1

The people of Nigeria are the most important and valuable resource of the nation.

They are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development.

Principle 2

To achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life for all the people,

Nigeria shall promote appropriate policies including population–related policies, to

meet the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs.

Principle 3

Everyone has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of

physical and mental health. Universal access to health care services should be

guaranteed.

Principle 4

The family is the basic unit of the Nigerian society and as such shall be strengthened.

Principle 5

Every Nigerian has the right to information and education, which shall be directed

to the full development of human resources, dignity and potential, with particular

attention to women and children.

Principle 6

Nigeria shall give the highest possible priority for the well-being of the child. The

child has the right to standards of living adequate for his / her well-being.

Principle 7

Young people are the future leaders of the nation. Appropriate provisions for their

growth and development shall be made in recognition of their special needs.

Principle 8

Government shall pursue issues relating to gender equality before the law, equity

and women empowerment, and the elimination of all forms of gender-based

violence and all forms of harmful practices.

Principle 9

Government shall recognize the potentials and address the special needs of

vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, widows, the elderly and

refugees in accordance with the principles of the fundamental human rights of all

Nigerians.”

Critiques to Nigeria’s Population Policy

It is apparent that the Nigeria’s Population Policy desires to solve health related

issues and to prevent its explosive population growth. There seems to be a

statistically positive demographic change after the policy was implemented but it

was greater in Southern Nigeria because social advancement was an integral role

(Adegbola, 2008). However, Some argue that it is unsuccessful due to the cultural,

religious and financial factors in play (Adegbola, 2008; Enang & Ushie, 2012).

According to Enang and Ushie (2012), the most important step towards developing

a new population policy that can achieve its set objectives and target especially in

the area of health, is to recognize and understand the existing contending cultural

differences and how culture provides the “eyes” for analyzing and accepting a

policy of such.

Methods

As part of a validation of the gathered literature and theoretical lens, I interviewed

Mr. Abrahams Okoliko, minister for consular and information of the Nigerian

embassy. We were required to interview an employee from the country of our

choice. I conducted a semi-structured interview to gather in-depth data which will

be narrated below.

Results

Mr. Abrahams Okoliko, Nigerian Embassy’s minister for consular and information,

said that the current population of Nigeria is 170 million. Nigeria wanted to

maintain a sustainable population; this is why the Nigerian government under

President Babangida implemented the population policy in 1988. Mr. Okoliko

narrated: “BY SUSTAINABLE POPULATION, THE POPULATION SHOULD NOT BE TOO

MUCH FOR THE ECONOMY OR THEY WANT TO MAINTAIN AN EQUITABLE,

SUSTAINABLE POP THAT PROPORTIONAL GOODS OR ROOTS SHALL BE EQUAL TO

THE RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY .“ Furthermore, the policy also eyes an educated

population, good nutrition for the people, shelter for everybody, basic amenities for

all.

He also narrated that Nigeria’s population policy mandates that no family should get

more than four children so that population could be sustained. “CAUSE IF YOU HAVE

TOO MANY CHILDREN, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FEED THEM, YOU’RE NOT BE

ABLE TO SEND THEM TO SCHOOL, YOU CANNOT EDUCATE THEM OR WHEN THERE

ARE MANY CHILDREN YOU CANNOT GIVE THEM FOOD.“ The 1988 Nigerian

Population Policy wanted to promote responsible parenthood. The 2004 revision on

the Nigerian Population Policy did not affect the rule on the number of children; but

rather, reviewed it.

The government subsidizes all of the four children, ages 0 to 18. If the couple

exceeds four children, no punishment will be implemented. Instead, the government

would not subsidize the other children exceeding to four, leaving the couple

responsible for their other children.

The Nigerians approved of this policy because they themselves can see the effect of

having too many children. “IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN FOUR CHILDREN, YOU

CANNOT EDUCATE THEM. YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, “ Mr.

Okoliko said. It would be better for the economy and for the country if this is

practiced. “THE PROBLEM THERE WAS CONFUSION, CONFUSION IN THE SENSE

THAT YOU KNOW THE MUSLIM PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE MORE THAN ONE WIFE? “, he

also added. In this case, the population policy does not require whoever the parents

wanted to include in the four beneficiaries of the government.

Mr. Okoliko also clarified that Nigeria is not overpopulated but basic needs cannot

be provided for everybody. There is a lack of houses, schools and other amenities.

This is the primary reason why the government is trying to prevent an increase in

population. They want to maintain a sustainable population. The policy is applicable

also to all migrants in Nigeria. Also, what the policy tries to promote is responsible

parenthood – that is, to plan for the family according to the resources they have.

We also talked about issues such as divorce, abortion and contraceptives in the

interview. As for divorce, the Nigerian constitution allows it; but it does not have

any bearing on the population and demographic identity. Abortion, on the other

hand, is allowed in Nigeria only on medical grounds – that is, if the life of the mother

is in danger. But illegal abortion still exists. If the purpose of the abortion is to limit

their children, it is prohibited because they have the reproductive health bill.

Contraceptives are allowed but it is more advised to seek for medical advice or

prescription regarding its use. Different contraceptives are given to both men and

women to prevent the risk of unwanted pregnancies.

In terms of religious influences on their reproductive health bill, Catholics do not

support population control and the use of condom. He said: “NO BEARING FOR

COURTESIAL (CHURCH I GUESS) THE CHURCH WILL TALK BUT IT LEFT YOU TO BEAR

OR NOT TO“.

Discussion

I shall discuss the result of the interviews in terms of the nine principles of Nigeria’s

population policy enumerated in the earlier part and answer the questions posted

above.

On Nigeria’s Population Policy Principles

“Principle 1: The people of Nigeria are the most important and valuable

resource of the nation. They are at the centre of concerns for sustainable

development.”

“Principle 2: To achieve sustainable development and a higher quality of life

for all the people, Nigeria shall promote appropriate policies including

population–related policies, to meet the needs of current generations without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The government of Nigeria prioritizes its people and the resources. With this, it is

said in the interview that sustainable development means that resources should be

directly proportional to its population. In order to do this, in 1988 the Nigerian

government drafted a population policy that aims to achieve sustainable

development and higher quality of life for all Nigerians.

“Principle 3: Everyone has the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable

standard of physical and mental health. Universal access to health care

services should be guaranteed.”

“Principle 5: Every Nigerian has the right to information and education, which

shall be directed to the full development of human resources, dignity and

potential, with particular attention to women and children.”

The third and the fifth principles promote public access health and education

respectively. This is answered by the Nigerian population policy, according to Mr.

Okoliko, because the government subsidizes the education of the four children in a

family and the health benefits of the family. For sustainable development to occur,

he also said that education should be provided for all, and good health should be

promoted. He proved that the population policy contributed to these aspects.

Therefore, Nigeria’s population policy encapsulates these two principles.

“Principle 4: The family is the basic unit of the Nigerian society and as such

shall be strengthened.”

“Principle 6: Nigeria shall give the highest possible priority for the well-being

of the child. The child has the right to standards of living adequate for his/her

well-being.”

“Principle 7: Young people are the future leaders of the nation. Appropriate

provisions for their growth and development shall be made in recognition of

their special needs.”

Principles four, six and seven, stipulate that the family and the well-being of the

child should be prioritized. For this to be made true, the population policy of Nigeria

promotes responsible parenthood for the parents to be empowered, and children

subsidization. Parents are expected to a maximum of four children that will be

subsidized by the government and take full responsibility of the other children

exceeding the four. This enables the parents to be responsible for their family.

Meanwhile, the children are given free education and hospitalization from ages 0 to

18. This proves that the government prioritizes the well-being of the child. The

youth is considered the future leaders of the nation; therefore, they are being

prioritized and subsidized.

“Principle 8: Government shall pursue issues relating to gender equality before

the law, equity and women empowerment, and the elimination of all forms of

gender-based violence and all forms of harmful practices.”

The eighth principle postulates that the government should address gender issues.

With this, the use of contraceptives and the reproductive health bill in Nigeria’s

population policy is drafted. These give both men and women the right for their own

bodies and prevent violence between them. The use of contraceptives for both

genders promote gender equality because they are given the choice to govern their

bodies and prevent the risk of unwanted pregnancies.

“Principle 9: Government shall recognize the potentials and address the

special needs of vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, widows,

the elderly and refugees in accordance with the principles of the

fundamental human rights of all Nigerians.”

As for the ninth principle, there was no information given regarding the special

needs of vulnerable groups. This aspect needs to be researched more.

Nigeria’s Population Policy Illuminated

Nigeria’s population policy aims to achieve a sustainable development that dovetails

health, education and economic resources and promote responsible parenthood. Its

basic propositions cover the following: (a) the use of contraceptives and

reproductive health; (b) limited number of children; (c) abortion on medical

grounds; and (d) strengthening the family and responsible parenthood.

It was implemented in 1988 not to prevent the explosive population of Nigeria, but

to achieve sustainable development. There were no existing tensions in the country

that led to its development. This was brought about by the discretion of President

Babangida’s government to take a step towards achieving a proportional economic

resources and population growth.

The people of Nigeria accepted it claiming that they, themselves can feel the

consequences of having many children that they cannot support. However, there

was some confusion on Moslem Nigerians because of their polygamous beliefs and

practices. The government solved this by not giving restrictions on who should be

the benefactors of the government subsidies.

According to Mr. Okoliko, Nigeria’s population policy has no bearing on Nigeria’s

government and culture. But in terms of economy and society, it had a positive

effect. In terms of society, there had been existing dialectics between the

government and religious institutions on the use of contraceptives because it was

not allowed by the religion; but they left it on the couple’s discretion whether or not

they would use the contraceptives. In terms of economy, Nigeria’s economy

blossomed and the population growth was sustained. There is a proportion between

Nigeria’s resources and population.

Nigeria’s Population Policy and Thomas Malthus’ Theory of Population

Thomas Malthus’ theory of population stipulates that “as population grows

exponentially or geometrically, whereas food supply grows arithmetically, as new

land is used for cultivation.” According to the literature review I gathered, Nigeria’s

population policy was drafted to answer its explosive population. This affirmed

Thomas Malthus’ theory of population. However, this notion stipulated by the

literature reviews I gathered was falsified by Mr. Okoliko by saying that it was

drafted out of the government’s discretion to achieve sustainable development. By

sustainable development, it is said that the economic resources should be

proportional to the population. Malthus’ population theory backs up Nigeria’s

population policy because it is meant to attain sustainable development for the

country.

Conclusion

In sum, Nigeria’s population policy was drafted not to control its explosive

population, but as a step towards achieving sustainable development that prioritizes

the family through promoting responsible parenthood and the use of

contraceptives.

As a recommendation for this study, Nigeria’s population policy should be studied

more in terms of its effects to its people and evaluate it through interviewing its

people. Validation of this research is also recommended.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Adegbola, O. (2008). Population Policy Implementation in Nigeria, 1988-2003. Population Review, 47(1).

CIA World Factbook. (2012). Nigeria: People. Enang, E., & Ushie, M. (2012). Culture and Policy Implementation: An Appraisal of

Population Policy in Nigeria. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2(17), 226-229.

Library of Congress – Federal Research Division. (2008a). "Country Profile – Nigeria".

Library of Congress – Federal Research Division. (2008b) Country Profile: Nigeria. (pp. 9).

National Policy on Population for Development, Unity, Progress and Self-Reliance (1988).

NIPSS. (2008). Lecture on the Intergration of Popluation Policy into Regional Planning Prcoess in Nigeria.

United Nations. (2005). "World Population TO INCREASE BY 2.6 BILLION OVER NEXT 45 YEARS, WITH ALL GROWTH OCCURRING IN LESS DEVELOPED REGIONS".

APPENDIX A – PHOTOS

Ambassadors of Nigeria to the Philippines (L-R) Mr. Abrahams Okoliko, Minister for Consular and Information and Ms. Leanne Lozanes

Entrance of Nigerian Embassy Nigerian Embassy Logo

APPENDIX B – INTERVIEW GUIDE

1) What is Nigeria’s Population Policy? What are its basic propositions?

2) When and why was it implemented? What are the existing tensions in Nigeria

that led to the development of its population policy?

3) How did the people of Nigeria react to it? Did they accept or resist it? How was it

manifested?

4) What are its effects to Nigeria’s government, culture, economy and society?

5) What is its significance and implications to Nigeria’s demographic identity?

APPENDIX C – EMAIL CONFIRMATION FOR INTERVIEW

APPENDIX D – SAMPLE TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO

EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA TO THE PHILIPPINES

INTERVIEW WITH MR. ABRAHAMS E. OKOLIKO, MINISTER (CONSULAR AND

INFORMATION)

DATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

DURATION: 21 MINUTES AND 20 SECONDS

LEANNE: HERE’S THE, THE INTERVIEW GUIDE, HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS…

MINISTER OKOLIKO: YES, I DON’T KNOW WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY NIGERIA

POPULATION POLICY BUT I CANNOT STOP BY TELLINGYOU THAT RIGHT NOW

THE POPULATION OF NIGERIA IS ABOUT 170 MILLION PEOPLE, THAT IS THE

CURRENT PEOPLE

AND THE POLICY AS I’VE MENTIONED NIGERIA WANT TO MAINTAIN A

SUSTAINABLE POPULATION

BY SUSTAINABLE POPULATION, THE POPULATION SHOULD NOT BE TOO MUCH

FOR THE ECONOMY OR THEY WANT TO MAINTAIN AN EQUITABLE, SUSTAINABLE

POP THAT PROPORTIONAL GOODS OR ROOTS SHALL BE EQUAL TO THE

RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY,

OK WHEN YOU SAY WHAT ARE THE BASIC PROPOSITITONS

I DON’T KNOW WHAT DOES IT MEAN

BUT FOR ME THE BASIC PROPOSITION IS LIKE WHATI TOLD YOU

THE POPULATION THAT IS SUSTAINABLE, THE POPULATION THAT IS EDUCATED,

POPULATION THAT IS WELL- FED, A POPULATION THAT IS HEALTHY, HEALTHY

POPULATION

DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEAN?

EDUCATED POPULATION, GOOD, NUTRITIONAL FOR THE PEOPLE SHELTER FOR

EVERYBODY, BASIC AMENITIES FOR ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY, THAT’S

WHAT THE POLICY TENDS TO WORK, WORTH

LEANNE: WHEN WAS IT IMPLEMENTED?

MINISTER OKOLIKO: I CANNOT EXACTLY, BUT I THINK IT WAS 1985

LEANNE: 1988, I’VE READ IT