Economist warns Nigeria’s population growth could increase poverty

Economist warns Nigeria’s population growth could increase poverty

An economist, Paul Alaje, has said that Nigeria’s failure to manage its fast-growing population could worsen poverty and inequality.

Alaje issued the warning on Tuesday when he featured in an interview programme on Arise Television monitored by DAILY POST.

The Chief Economist at SPM Professionals said the World Bank’s projection that Nigeria’s population will exceed 320 million by 2050 may become reality, adding that “we need to do a lot of work” to prepare for it.

“Population is neither a curse nor a blessing. It depends on what you do with it. We cannot discuss population without discussing available resources and productivity. The three of them must be discussed together,” he said.

He, therefore, called on the government to draw lessons from China by linking population growth with industrialisation, urging that Nigeria pursue both population control and productivity growth

Alaje lamented that although Nigeria is generating employment across sectors, the real economic benefits are flowing abroad.