Executive chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra, has described the Revised National Population Policy of the country as innovative, transformative and people-centred.
Kwarra made the description in Abuja yesterday, during a press conference to mark the 2022 World Population Day.
He said if well implemented, the policy would promote the rights of individuals and couples, to freely and responsibly decide whether, when or how often to have and space their children, in a manner they can comfortably have the means to support them.
The NPC chairman pointed out that population policies grounded in individual’s rights and choices improve the well-being of women and girls, transform families and societies, and accelerate both national and global development.
He said for the country to have the right information, evidence and data for measuring and predicting likely demographic shift, we need to hold a census that would provide current, reliable and acceptable data required for addressing the different needs of the various population groups and implement interventions that would create opportunities for progress and remove barriers that inhibit them.
Earlier in a goodwill message, the country director, Pathfinder International, Dr Amina Aminu Dorayi, in Nigeria, the socio-economic indicators continue to lag, adding that a major contributor is the lack of universal and adequate access to contraceptive education and services.
Dorayi said millions of women in Nigeria have an unmet need for contraception, which affects their ability to choose if and when to have children – a basic right to attain good health and wellbeing.
She reiterated the need for Nigerians to keep up the momentum of ensuring that women, girls and families are protected and their rights upheld, noting that the country is presented with the opportunity to jointly analyze efforts made in fulfilling the roles and planning for future investments.
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