Paul Osuyi, Asaba
WORRIED by the growing rate of the nation’s population, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has urged youths across the country to adopt suitable family planning methods in order to stabilise the population growth.
The umbrella youth body said Nigeria’s overpopulation has overstretched the existing infrastructures, insisting that the nation can no longer cope with the trend.
Chairman of NYCN in Delta State, Mr. Kenneth Okorie who gave the advice, contended that if youths are able adopt family planning methods, the country’s soaring population will be stabilised and reduced to a manageable growth rate.
Okorie said the message to the youths has become pertinent in view of the fact that youths are the most active in the country.
He spoke on the sidelines of a one day symposium held in Asaba, Delta State as part of activities to mark the 2019 International Youth Day with the theme: ‘Rebranding Education’.
According to him, “Overpopulation is seriously affecting us, we enjoin people to plan and have the number of children they can carter for, not bearing 10 to 12 children without having the resources. We should key into that agenda of family planning, people should plan their homes and have two to three children.
“Issue of unemployment, insecurity and other social vices in this country are problems for us. Some people have up to 15 children and they don’t know where they are, so the better we plan, the better for us.”
Okorie however, charged government at all levels to introduce skill acquisition in various schools aimed at making youths self-employed after graduation.
The state Commissioner for Youth Development, Mr. Ifeanyi Egwunyenga said that one of the greatest challenges youth face today is learning crisis.
Mr. Egwunyenga said “this is part of the overall strategy of the United Nation to ensure that young people are equipped with relevant skills required to navigate the technological revolution of the 21st century.
“Today’s education must shift from just learning for career purpose to life skills technology and critical thinking.”