NPC Urges Nigeria To Fund Population Programmes Locally

The National Population Commission (NPC) on Monday urged Nigeria to strengthen domestic financing of population programmes, warning that dependence on foreign donors is increasingly risky.

Speaking at the launch of the 13th Annual Population Lecture Series (APLS 13) report in Abuja, NPC Chairman Dr. Aminu Yusuf (Talban Wushishi) said: “The owner of the load must make the first attempt to carry it. Sustainable population management must be anchored on reliable homegrown funding.”

Dr. Yusuf described the launch as a historic milestone, noting that it is the first time in 14 years that the APLS report has been formally produced and disseminated.

He emphasized that population data provides a critical foundation for evidence-based governance.

The report, themed: “Emerging Global Funding Realities: Impact on Population Activities and the Need for Innovative Domestic Resource Mobilization,” highlights Nigeria’s persistent challenges, including a Total Fertility Rate of 4.8 children per woman, uneven access to family planning, and gaps in education, healthcare, and employment that limit the country’s demographic dividend.

It also cautions that development partner contributions, currently 11.6 per cent of national health expenditure, are becoming increasingly uncertain, while weak data systems and poor institutional coordination continue to hinder policy effectiveness.

To address these gaps, the NPC proposed a roadmap focused on innovative financing, private sector partnerships, youth empowerment, and stronger policy implementation.

Initiatives include population bonds, better use of diaspora remittances, expanded health insurance coverage, and support for at least 1,000 youth-led social enterprises in health, data innovation, and community development by the third quarter of 2026.

Federal commissioner representing Benue State, Barr. Patricia Iyanya Kupchi, described the report as a strategic roadmap for Nigeria’s demographic resilience and urged the media to amplify its recommendations to keep population issues central to national development planning.