The challenges of adopting, communicating and implementing population policies in Africa – Nigeria as a case study

Cletus O. Okuguni, Joseph Ayo Babalola University
Kolawole E. Odusina, Joseph Ayo Babalola University

Many developing countries lack an explicitly stated operational or workable population policy. This study, adopting the library research and content review method, considered relevant literature and stakeholders in Nigeria, about the government’s approach to tackling the challenges and potentials posed by Nigeria’s ever increasing vast human resources. The study observes that Nigeria currently has a codified population policy but the implementation of the policy is not given adequate attention, and this is imperative for any country desirous of rapid human development, and questing for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It therefore advocates the harnessing of the media’s capabilities and governments’ commitment in communicating and implementation of a well-crafted and codified population policy, with the inputs of relevant stakeholders devoid of ethno-religious and political biases, if Nigeria would move forward, away from the perpetual competition between the ethnic groups jostling for ascendancy in the country.