Nigeria’s Population May Hit 400 Million By 2050 – Minister Of State For Health 

Nigeria may become the fourth or fifth most populous country in the world with a projected population of about 400 million by 2050.

The Minister of State for Health, Joseph Ekumankama, has said without effective population policies to reduce the high fertility rate, Nigeria will be about the fourth or fifth most populous country in the world with a projected population of about 400 million by 2050.

He said the demographic trend had implications for Nigeria’s economic development because the youth population was dependent.

Ekumankama said, “Without effective population policies to reduce the high fertility rate, Nigeria will be about the fourth or fifth most populous country in the world with a projected population of about 400 million by 2050.

“It will then mean that rapid population will put substantial pressure on the country’s capacity to provide quality social services such as foods, clinics, and adequate sanitation and other basic needs.”

The minister added that achieving the commitment of a modern contraceptive prevalence rate of 27 percent by 2030 was a beautiful milestone in ensuring universal access to reproductive health.

Meanwhile, the number of Nigerian women using modern contraceptive methods is 12 percent while 19 percent of women have an unmet need for family planning.

The unmet need for family planning is the percentage of women who want to stop or delay childbearing but are not currently using any method of contraception to prevent pregnancy.

Modern contraceptive methods for family planning include male and female condoms, intrauterine devices, injectables, implants, pills, and emergency contraception.