From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

Former president Olusegun Obasanjo, at the weekend, called for proper population management, expressing the fear that the geometric population explosion without a corresponding socioeconomic development, may spell doom for the country.

Obasanjo, who spoke at a mentoring session for students of some selected schools across the country, organised by Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (STAGE), noted that Nigeria’s increasing population must be properly managed to engender national development.

At the event tagged ‘Raising the Next Wave of Innovative Leaders Through Entrepreneurship’, held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, the former president declared that no nation can attain the desired development without accurate population data.

He noted that some countries such as China, India and others with large population have harnessed their sizes to espouse socioeconomic development, urging the Nigerian government to work towards harnessing the potentials of the country’s large population.

While calling for more actions in population management, Obasanjo charged the young students to uphold the virtues of integrity, honesty and good moral standing, to take them to their respective chosen careers in life.

According to him, efforts must be geared towards nurturing a new set of business leaders through entrepreneurship to tackle some of the economic challenges in the country.

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“Mentorship and motivation of this nature may just be the tonic that will fire the necessary patriotism for national development in these budding leaders of tomorrow”, Obasanjo stated.

Speaking earlier at event, the Republic of Korea’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Kim Young-Chae, who equally raised concerns over the growing population of Nigeria without a corresponding economic growth, however, promised his home country’s harmonious bilateral cooperation, including entrepreneurship development for young Nigerians.

In his remarks, the Chairman of STAGE, Agwu Amogu, disclosed that the programme was initiated at the California State University, USA in 2002 and currently operational in over 32 countries across all the continents of the world.

He explained that STAGE has offered secondary school and young people a hands-on learning process on how to create wealth, help others and their communities.

“Since the introduction of the programme in Nigeria in 2006, it has shown that it is a potent strategy and model for educational reform, youth re-orientation, job creation and poverty alleviation and multi-cultural integration.

“Nigeria is currently facing myriad of challenges. Terrorism, banditry, high poverty rate and dangerous level of youth unemployment. One possible approach to reverse this trend would be to increase attention and funding for hands-on entrepreneurship and community service education. This will enable the young people acquire the necessary 21st century skills for jobs and self-employment”. Amogu submitted.