TheCable

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria’s population growth could become a problem if it is not well managed.

The former president issued the warning while speaking at an event in Ogun state on Sunday.

Earlier this month, United Nations released a report which estimated that Nigeria’s population had risen to 211 million.

Reacting, Obasanjo predicted that if the population explosion is not curbed, Nigeria will become the third-largest country in the world in 2050.

He added that the nation must embrace “population management” as quickly as possible to forestall a disastrous ripple effect of a significant increase in the number of citizens.

“We have moved from 120 million to over 200 million, we have added the population of France to our population, and if we continue the way we are going, by the year 2050, we will be the third-largest country in the world,” the former president said.

“If we continue, by the year 3000, we will be the largest country in the world. Now, what are we going to do to handle the situation? How are we going to handle that population?

“If we don’t start getting it right now, we will not get it right by 2050.  But population by itself may not be a liability if we do what we have to do. But if we don’t do what we have to do – which we are not doing now – the population will become a liability.

“We should educate ourselves about population management. Some people don’t like family planning and all that, but whatever you do, you must manage your population for the benefit of all that is within your nation.”