2014 World Population Day (Aired Newstalk)

THE NEED FOR UNANIMOUS SUPPORT AS THE WORLD POPULATION DAY ANNIVERSARY IS BEING COMMEMORATED TODAY FRIDAY JULY 11, 2014


Every society or locality is naturally blessed with a certain number of people known as its population, which increases periodically based on the birth and death rates of the society in question.

Population in a nutshell, can be defined as the number of persons or animals of the same kind coexisting in a particular place. It can also be referred to as the summation of all the organisms of the same group or species that live in the same geographical area, and have the capability of interbreeding. In most cases, it is the human population that is mainly taken into consideration because it is the only mode of population that determines the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as the net worth of a given society.

The rate at which the population of a certain locality increases is attributed to two major factors which are Birth rate and Death rate. The Birth rate of an existing society such as a province, a nation or country is an estimation of the number of kids that are being reproduced within a given period of time, while the Death rate is the total number of individuals that cease to exist at a specific interval.

According to the United Nations (UN), the world human population reached seven billion on October 31, 2011 contrary to the United States (US) Census Bureau estimate which reportedly disclosed that the seven billion mark was only reached on March 12, 2012. In the same vein, according to the most recent United Nations estimate, the human population of the world is expected to reach eight billion people by the year 2024.

As the world over commemorates the World Population Day today being Friday 11th of July 2014, there’s need for collective support towards attaining a tangible and desirable population growth as well as its control, knowing fully that there are series of challenges as regards the population growth and control of a given country.

The World Population Day is an annual event observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness on global population issues. The event was solely established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the year 1989. The establishment was inspired by the public interest on July 11, 1987, which was the day the world’s population reached approximately five billion people.

Taking Nigeria for instance; based on the United Nations’ current estimate, she is regarded as the seven most populous country in the whole wide world with about 178, 517, 000 people as at July 1, 2014 which is tantamount to about 2.49% of the entire world population. Notwithstanding, there’s no exact figure of the country’s population likewise many other countries in the world due to many challenges or constraints, and such anomaly negatively affects the work force of any country involved thereby affecting its socio-economic and political strength.

On the above note, there’s an urgent need for every country in the world to take more drastic and severe measure towards ascertaining the exact summation of people living in their respective countries and as well ensure that the growth of such population is duly controlled. The respective National Population Commissions or Agencies ought to work in collaboration with relevant non-governmental organizations coupled with religious bodies in regard to sensitizing individuals as well as the general public on the economic need for each of them to be counted whenever the population census programme is taking place.

More so, considering population control, the issue of Family Planning must be taken more and very seriously by all the concerned bodies and relevant institutions. Every married woman alongside her husband is bound to acknowledge to the fullness the efficacy of family planning during Child Birth Spacing in order to obtain a reasonable and healthy number of offspring. On the other hand, the adolescent school girls should be trained on adequate sex education and ought to be properly conscientized on the unavoidable dangers that await early pregnancy or pregnancy out of wedlock.

Therefore it’s of no need saying that all hands must be on deck to ensure that all the necessary or needed measures regarding obtaining a desirable population growth and control are fully and duly implemented. Thus, there’s need for unanimous support of this worthwhile and remarkable crusade that is globally recognized.



COMR. FRED DOC NWAOZOR

Public Affairs analyst & Social activist

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