Nigeria’s disturbing high fertility rate, causes, impacts and solutions - BusinessDay NG, TV, and Podcast (2023)

One of the most serious problems facing many developing countries especially Nigeria is the rapid and uncontrollable increase in their population. This is attributed to bearing of many children by women especially in the rural areas because of lack of education and awareness, poverty, marriage at early ages. Consequently, their family sizes increase and population grows rapidly.

Currently the country’s population is growing Nigeria at a rate of 2.6 percent annually, lower than the growth rate of 1.95 percent .

“Currently we are growing at 1.95 percent with a population growing at 2.6 percent annually. Our growth rate does not exceed the population growth rate. So as we progress, Our standard of living will be impacted significally,” Ayodeji Ebo, MD, of Lagos-based financial advisory, Afrinvest securities limited said.

The population in Nigeria is increasing by the minute and high fertility rate is one of its major determinants, especially in the northern part of the country. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Out of the 36 states in Nigeria, Jigawa recorded the highest level of fertility rate in 2016.Followed by while Kano and Kebbi state

And also according to a statistical survey, Nigeria is among the top 20 countries in the world with a high fertility rate of 5.13 in 2016

Fertility, as a demographic indicator is referred to as the actual reproduction performance in a population based on the number of live birth that occurs in a population. It indicates the actual number of children born alive. Child bearing, by itself, is dependent on so many factors including social circumstances such as culture, tradition, education and the overall level of development of a society or community. Also, the age of entry into a union and the availability of contraception are two key proximate determinants of fertility.

High fertility is defined as a total fertility rate (TFR) of 5.0 or higher while a lower fertility rate is below 5.0

The most commonly used measure or indicator of fertility is the total fertility rate (TFR), which is, the number of children that a woman bears over her entire childbearing years, provided at each age during the childbearing years. She also experiences the age-specific fertility rate (ASFR). The fertility age bracket for women is between ages 15 to 49 years. Age specific fertility rate, in turn, is the number of births given to by women of a specific age group per 1,000 women in that age group.

In 2015, total fertility rate was 5.5 births per woman but increased in 2016 to 5.8 based on the NBS report

It has been a normal tread in the northern parts of the country where teen girls once they see their menstrual period they have become women and are ripe for marriage and can bear as much children as they want to not minding the negative impacts.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in Nigeria was reported at 5.526 in 2016, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources.

“Northern states usually have the highest fertility rate in the country. By tradition once a girl sees her menstrual cycle the family or parents of the lady will just marry her out. They hardly use contraceptives because it is against their Islamic believe,” Okechukwu Ekemezie, a medical doctor, Dangote oil and refinery said on phone

Even while walking in the streets of Lagos, you would see the bike riders who are usually northerners of very young age already married with children .The large population of beggars in the streets are the children from the north. You would see mothers as young as 13 years old begging in the streets with their children having no means to feed them themselves

How it began

Historically, Fertility norms, usually reflected by the demand for children, are most often measured by the number of children desired under prevailing social and economic conditions. Although it is sometimes influenced by the number of living children, patterns of changes and differentials in desired fertility sometimes provide valuable insight into probable future course of fertility.

Fertility rate, total (births per woman) in Nigeria was reported at 5.53 in 2016, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Uncontrollable fertility is one of the determinants of population growth in Nigeria. Causes of high fertility rate

Causes of high fertility rate

The following are the factors that causes high fertility rate in Nigeria

Motivational Factors

In pre-industrial societies and in agricultural social groups, there is emphasis on cooperative activities, joint families, joint occupations and community living. These are the basic motives for high fertility rate. In agricultural societies children are valued due to economic, social, religious and cultural factors. Economically they start earning and helping the parents at very young age. Several wives having dozens of children are assets to a male in backward societies.

In most of the primitive societies, the bigger families leads to higher social status and manpower. Wars also motivate higher birth rate. Another motivating factor is the fatalistic attitude, that children are gifts of god. The countries professing Hinduism, Islam and Judaism religion has motivated high fertility and encourage high birth rates in the developing countries

Economic Factors

Poverty leads to illiteracy, low standard of living and promote fertility rate. The children in lower economic group very soon start helping their parents in earning their living. So, increase in number of children leads to increase in income. It means the low economic status leads to high fertility.

Social Factors

Social factors encourage fertility which include joint family, caste system, and lack of social mobility, lower status of women, community life and joint occupation. So, the above factors are responsible for high birth rate in the developing countries. The government and other private agencies have launched family planning programmes to control the high birth rates in these developing countries. However, most of the developing countries particularly the Islamic countries, are still showing high fertility rates.

Consequences of high fertility rate

High fertility and birth rate contributes positively to high population growth while further findings revealed that high population growth rate in Nigeria exerts negative consequences on the Nigeria’s economy. These negative consequences can be appreciated by high poverty, inadequate housing, poor sanitation, low standard of living, high unemployment rate and inflation, high pressures on existing infrastructural facilities etc.

According to a world bank study, nearly 70 percent of the world’s population live in just five countries, those of whom are subsisting on less than $1.25 a day and are concentrated in five areas which are India, China, Nigeria, Bangladesh and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

These countries have similar characteristics in terms of their rising population but based on world poverty clock, a non-governmental organisation in Vienna that shows real-time poverty estimates of different countries and their policies, countries like China, India and Bangladesh are on track of ending extreme poverty.

“The difference is that if you look at china and India, these countries are doing a lot to pull people out of poverty. For instance, china within the last 30 years has pulled more than 500 million people out of poverty. India in the past ten years has a lot to reduce the incidence of poverty in their country,” Johnson Chukwu, CEO of Lagos-based financial advisory firm, Cowry Assets, said.

“Unfortunately both Nigeria and Congo are on the opposite side of development in the sense that their poverty levels is worsen. We are seeing poverty level in Nigeria decrease as GDP per capita is detetorating,” Chukwu told BusinessDay on phone.

Solution

The current growth rate of Nigeria population is now a significant burden to human well being.

The use of contraceptives which is a birth control method is not encouraged in some parts of Nigeria; statistic shows that only about 38 percent of those that reside in the South West use contraceptives and 3 percent in the North East. Contraceptive use in urban areas is three times that of rural areas. because of their level of education.

According to the demographic report from NBS, 86.6 percent of Nigerian women who are currently married or in a union are not using any contraceptive method to prevent unwanted pregnancy. A break down of this figure shows that Ebonyi State had the highest 97.0 percent of women who are married and are not using any contraceptive methods to space their child while Oyo state had the least 65.7 percent

In 2011, the Federal Ministry of Health in her efforts to achieve the millennium development goals which is now sustainable developmental goals distributed free contraceptives to states to enhance child spacing.

This free distribution of contraceptives has continued to achieve the current sustainable development goals for all women in the reproductive age in Nigeria to space their children for healthy living. However the attitude of people towards this modern method of contraceptive is still poor

The poor attitude of people towards contraceptive and the current explosive population growth affects the ability as a country to plan for adequate resources to meet the needs of every Nigerian. For the health sector, it is incredibly problematic, especially in light of the paucity of current resources .

Doctors have suggested that improving access to education and family planning methods will contribute positively to lowering fertility rates and hence managing population growth in the near future.

According to the National Population Commission(NPC), Nigeria as at 2017 has an estimated population of over 198 million. The United Nations (UN) World Population Prospects (2017) said that the country’s population could be the third most populated in the world reaching 410 million by 2050.

BUNMI BAILEY

FAQs

What are the implications of high fertility rate in Nigeria? ›

Nigeria's high fertility rate is associated with increased insecurity, banditry, underemployment, and maternal and infant mortality in the country, experts have said. Nigeria's fertility rate, which is said to be 5.3 births per woman, is one of the highest in the world.

What causes high fertility rate in Nigeria? ›

It means the low economic status leads to high fertility. Social factors encourage fertility which include joint family, caste system, and lack of social mobility, lower status of women, community life and joint occupation. So, the above factors are responsible for high birth rate in the developing countries.

What are the main causes of high fertility rate? ›

Factors generally associated with increased fertility include the intention to have children, in advanced societies very high gender equality, religiosity, inter-generational transmission of values, marriage and cohabitation, maternal and social support, rural residence, pro family government programs, low IQ and ...

What are the consequences of high fertility rate? ›

Twenty-nine of these countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa. High fertility poses health risks for children and their mothers, detracts from human capital investment, slows economic growth, and exacerbates environmental threats. These and other consequences of high fertility are reviewed in the first half of this paper.

What are the consequences of high population in Nigeria? ›

Some of these results are; depletion of resources, human congestion, weather modification, high unemployment rate, environmental degradation and a lot more.
...
INTRODUCTION.
Non-renewable resource consumption and depletion like crude oil, coal etc
Water pollution, soil pollution and air pollution
Desertification etc.
3 more rows

What are the effects and consequences of population growth in Nigeria? ›

Consequently there are various factors that lead to population increase in Nigeria such as religion and lack of education. However, the outcomes of population increase are identified as environmental degradation, human congestion, and high unemployment rate.

What are the reasons of high fertility rate in Africa? ›

What drives high fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa?
  • First, low contraceptive prevalence. ...
  • Second, cultural and religious preferences. ...
  • Third, high rates of adolescent childbearing.
Jul 8, 2020

What are the major causes of high fertility in developing countries? ›

In developing countries children are needed as a labour force and to provide care for their parents in old age. In these countries, fertility rates are higher due to the lack of access to contraceptives and generally lower levels of female education.

Do high fertility rates cause poverty? ›

Abstract. High fertility strains budgets of poor families, reducing available resources to feed, educate, and provide health care to children.

What are the main causes of fertility problems? ›

They include:
  • Age. Women's fertility gradually declines with age, especially in the mid-30s, and it drops rapidly after age 37. ...
  • Tobacco use. Smoking tobacco or marijuana by either partner may reduce the likelihood of pregnancy. ...
  • Alcohol use. ...
  • Being overweight. ...
  • Being underweight. ...
  • Exercise issues.
Sep 1, 2021

What are 3 factors that affect fertility rate? ›

Factors Affecting Fertility
  • Age. Female age is the most important factor affecting fertility. ...
  • Previous Pregnancy. ...
  • Duration of subfertility. ...
  • Timing and Frequency of Sexual Intercourse. ...
  • Lifestyle Factors.
  • Weight. ...
  • Smoking. ...
  • Caffeine.

How does fertility rate affect the economy? ›

It suggests that as parents get richer, they invest more in the “quality” (for example, education) of their children. This investment is costly, so parents choose to have fewer children as incomes rise. Historically fertility and GDP per capita are strongly negatively related, both across countries and over time.

What is the impact of fertility on population growth? ›

Generally speaking, when the TFR is greater than 2.1, the population in a given area will increase, and when it is less than 2.1, the population in a given area will eventually decrease, though it may take some time because factors such as age structure, emigration, or immigration must be considered.

What are two factors affecting fertility rate? ›

This post will examine four factors that influence the total fertility rate (TFR), including a female's age when she has her first child, educational opportunities for females, access to family planning, and government acts and policies that affect childbearing.

What are three effects of high birth rate? ›

High birth rates may contribute to malnutrition and starvation, stress government welfare and family programs, and more importantly store up overpopulation for the future, and increase human damage to other species and habitats, and environmental degradation.

Why is population growth a problem in Nigeria? ›

However, because of the lack of birth control law put in place by the Federal, State and Local Governments, the population of human beings has outgrowth available resources in Nigeria. It is a very serious challenge to the country's development.

What are the 4 factors that affect population growth in Nigeria? ›

Population of Nigeria is increasing rapidly. Rapidly increasing population may result due to the effect of three important factors. They are birth rate, death rate and higher net migration. Migration has played a negligible role in Nigerian population increase.

What are some negative impacts of increased population? ›

The Effects of Overpopulation

More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. And all that consumption contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.

What are the five effects of high population density in Nigeria? ›

Some of these results are; depletion of resources, human congestion, weather modification, high unemployment rate, environmental degradation and a lot more.

What are 5 effects of rapid population growth? ›

What are the 5 effects of rapid population growth? The 5 effects of rapid population growth are increased economic growth of a country, growing demand for jobs, lack of housing and schools, lack of infrastructure leading to poor living, and increase in pollution and waste.

What are 4 consequences of overpopulation? ›

Increasing pollution in the environment. Lack of energy. Reduction of natural resources. Increasing unemployment.

Which factor has most likely affected the high fertility rate in Africa? ›

The main one is high fertility which is driven by multiple factors, including high desired family size, low levels of use of modern contraceptives, and high levels of adolescent childbearing.

What are three factors that contribute to high population growth rates in Africa? ›

Several factors are responsible for the rapid growth: a drop in mortality rates, a young population, improved standards of living, and attitudes and practices which favor high fertility. Africans view large families as an economic asset and as a symbol of worth and honor, and parents see it as security during old age.

Which country has the most fertility problems? ›

South Korea has the lowest fertility rate globally at 0.9 children per woman, closely followed by Puerto Rico at 1.0 and a trio of Malta, Singapore, and the Chinese Special Administrative Region Hong Kong all at 1.1 children per woman.

Can a man have a baby? ›

Mammalian males, including humans, do not possess a uterus to gestate offspring.

What is the most common fertility issue? ›

Failure to Ovulate. The most common overall cause of female infertility is the failure to ovulate, which occurs in 40% of women with infertility issues.

How can I solve my fertility problems? ›

Other women may need several different types of treatment to achieve pregnancy.
  1. Stimulating ovulation with fertility drugs. Fertility drugs are the main treatment for women who are infertile due to ovulation disorders. ...
  2. Intrauterine insemination (IUI). ...
  3. Surgery to restore fertility.
Sep 1, 2021

What are the factors that affect the fertility rate of the African population? ›

Results and conclusions: The main motivating factors to high TFR were cultural and religious beliefs, like the value of children as carriers of traditions, religion, genetics and also the emphasis on Old Testament in African Christianity.

What factors can improve fertility? ›

What can I do to promote female fertility?
  • Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or significantly underweight can inhibit normal ovulation.
  • Prevent sexually transmitted infections. Infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are a leading cause of infertility for women.
  • Avoid the night shift, if possible.

What would cause the fertility rate to drop? ›

For the last 70 years, fertility rates have decreased worldwide, with a total 50% decline. Reasons include women's empowerment in education and the workforce, lower child mortality and the increased cost of raising children.

What are the five Effect of high population density in Nigeria? ›

Some of these results are; depletion of resources, human congestion, weather modification, high unemployment rate, environmental degradation and a lot more.

What is the effect of fertility rate? ›

Assuming no net migration and unchanged mortality, a total fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman ensures a broadly stable population. Together with mortality and migration, fertility is an element of population growth, reflecting both the causes and effects of economic and social developments.

How does high fertility lead to poverty? ›

High fertility strains budgets of poor families, reducing available resources to feed, educate, and provide health care to children.

What are the 3 main factors that impact population growth? ›

When demographers attempt to forecast changes in the size of a population, they typically focus on four main factors: fertility rates, mortality rates (life expectancy), the initial age profile of the population (whether it is relatively old or relatively young to begin with) and migration.

What is a negative impact of population growth? ›

The Effects of Overpopulation

More people means an increased demand for food, water, housing, energy, healthcare, transportation, and more. And all that consumption contributes to ecological degradation, increased conflicts, and a higher risk of large-scale disasters like pandemics.

What are four factors that affects fertility rate? ›

This post will examine four factors that influence the total fertility rate (TFR), including a female's age when she has her first child, educational opportunities for females, access to family planning, and government acts and policies that affect childbearing.

How many kids can a woman have? ›

One study estimated a woman can have around 15-30 children in a lifetime, taking pregnancy and recovery time into account. Since men require less time and fewer resources to have kids, the most "prolific" fathers today can have up to about 200 children.

What are the causes of high fertility in developing countries? ›

In developing countries children are needed as a labour force and to provide care for their parents in old age. In these countries, fertility rates are higher due to the lack of access to contraceptives and generally lower levels of female education.

How does a high population growth rate affect the economy negatively? ›

It reduces per Capita Availability of Capital:

A rapidly growing population leads to a progressive decline in the availability of capital per worker. This further leads to lower productivity and diminishing returns.

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