Topic > Population Growth and Poverty: Nigeria - 1151

Population growth is one of the major problems facing the human species, regardless of where in the world it occurs. For years since the 1960s, the growth rate of the world's population has increased rapidly and in some cases doubled. With rapid population growth comes many challenges that people face and Nigeria is no exception. Nigeria, a country located in West Africa, is the sixth most populous country in the world with a total population of over 167 million (Rosenthal). The problems that Nigeria faces due to population growth are just some of the problems that many other populated countries face around the world. High rates of unemployment, crime, poverty, as well as lack of health and education in Nigeria are just some of the many factors caused by population growth. Nigeria has always been a country well known for its African music, but that has long been overshadowed by the problems it is facing with fertility rates. The average replacement fertility rate is normally 2.1, but in Nigeria the replacement rate is much higher, reaching 6.8. This dramatic increase in the fertility rate is a major cause of unemployment: 50% of Nigerians living in urban areas between the ages of 15 and 24 are unemployed. This in turn has led to criminal acts because people are unable to support themselves due to the unavailability of jobs (Rosenthal). Crime rates and violence have also increased due to the frustration of being unemployed and poor. Due to Nigeria's large population, most people belong to the lower social class and live in overcrowded places. These conditions have proven very difficult where families “squeeze into 7 x 11 foot rooms along a narrow… middle of paper…, education and high rates of poverty, crime and unemployment. Hopefully in the near future people will be more educated about population growth and will only have more children if they can provide for them. In this way there will no longer be children who will have to suffer poverty or experience the sensation of hunger or malnutrition. Works Cited Ezedike, Eu. Sophia: An African Journal of Philosophy 13.1 (2010): n. page Print.Melesse, Tewodros. "Nigeria's Population Boom: A Problem or Not?" The New York Times. The New York Times, April 18, 2012. Web. April 19, 2014.Ovbiagele, Helen. “Nigeria’s Growing Population: Emerging Issues – Vanguard News.” Cutting edge news. Np, 03 June 2012. Web. 19 April 2014.Rosenthal, Elisabeth. “Nigeria's population is surging in anticipation of a global problem.” NYTimes.com. Np, 15 April 2012. Web. 19 April. 2014.