UNIVERSITY OF THE GAMBIA

SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF NURSING AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

DEV 401 – SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

LECTURER – MR. SIYAT GAYE

IMPACT OF POPULATION

GROWTH ON SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT:

“NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY”

Tobiloba A. Omotosho 2130019

MAY, 2015
IMPACT OF POPULATION GROWTH ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY
Abstract
Population growth is occurring more rapidly in Africa (esp. Nigeria) than in other regions of the
world, increasing vulnerability to climate change impacts and undermining sustainable
development efforts on the continent. The population of Nigeria represents 2.35 percent of the
world´s total population which arguably means that one person in every 43 people on the planet
is a resident of Nigeria. Despite the contributions of international multinational, bilateral and
non- governmental organizations to the development strides in Nigeria, it appears that the more
assistance the country gets the higher the poverty, unemployment and conflict levels. The
country’s population is growing at geometrical progression without corresponding growth in
basic infrastructure and social amenities such as electricity, good roads, potable water, health,
educational facilities. The real sector of the economy is comatose with low capacity utilization in
the industrial sector, underdevelopment agricultural sector and ailing transport sector. The cities
are congested due to high rural-urban migration and poor urban planning and most citizens who
could no longer bear the congestion associated discomforts had either legally migrated to
developed countries or sought asylum. The implications of population growth on sustainable
developmental challenge in many African nations, including Nigeria are diverse socio-economic,
cultural and environmental problems. Addressing these urban developmental challenges in
Nigeria requires effective and good governance. This paper tries to lay emphasis on the Nigerian
environment and its natural resources that are fast being degraded and consumed as a result of
human population increase. Nigeria is a country with the largest human population in Africa and
popularly regarded as The Giant of Africa for its population. Thus, this paper is aiming to point
out the eminent and unavoidable results of continuous increase in human population in Nigeria.
Some of these results are; depletion of resources, human congestion, weather modification, high
unemployment rate, environmental degradation and a lot more.

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RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. Does population growth in Nigeria have negative effects on its sustainability?
2. Does population growth play a major role in environmental degradation of Nigeria’s
environment?
3. Is population control needed for Nigerian’s to live sustainably?

INTRODUCTION
Nigeria is a country located in West Africa whose official name is the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. It is known as the “Giant of Africa” because it is considered as the most populous
country in Africa and seventh most populous country in the world (Library of Congress –
Federal Research Division, 2008b). Nigeria consists of large ethnic groups such as Fulani/Hausa,
Yoruba, Igbo, etc. The total population in Nigeria was last recorded at 166.2 million people in
2012 from 45.2 million in 1960, changing 268 percent during the last 50 years. Population in
Nigeria averaged 93.39 Million from 1960 until 2012, reaching an all time high of 166.21
Million in 2012 and a record low of 45.15 Million in 1960. (National Bureau of Statistics, 2014).
Nigeria is an agrarian country with about 70% of her over 160 million people engaged in
agricultural production. The country is also generally endowed with abundant natural resources
and the livelihood of more than half of the economically active population in Nigeria directly
depend on the environment through agriculture, as well as animal husbandry, hunting, fishing,
forestry, and foraging. This alone underscores the importance of the seventh Millennium
Development Goal: to ensure environmental sustainability (Todaro & Smith, 2009). However,
several challenges threaten progress towards sustainable development goals in Africa especially
Nigeria. The spike in food and energy prices in 2008 led to a severe food crises. The subsequent
fall of energy prices has eased some of the pressure on energy importing countries. Yet, food
prices remain high. The global financial and economic crisis in 2009 has exacerbated the
situation. Growth rates are falling, unemployment is rising, poverty is deepening, hunger and
malnutrition are on the increase again, and the achievement of the millennium Development
goals are in jeopardy.
As Todaro & Smith asserts, “Africa’s population may double in less than 30 years. This rapid
population growth has put a lot of stress on Africa’s ecosystem. Problems such as food security,
land tenure, environmental degradation and lack of water supply are often related to high rates of

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population growth. Continuing on our present path of acceleratory environmental degradation
would severely compromise the ability of present and future generations to meet their needs.
However the rate and timing of fertility declines, and thus the eventual size of world population,
will largely depend on the commitment of governments to create economic and institutional
conditions that are conducive to limiting fertility. Rapidly growing population has led to land,
water and fuel wood shortages in rural areas and to urban health crises stemming from lack of
sanitation and clear water. To meet expanding least developed country’s needs, environmental
devastation must be halted and productivity of existing resources stretched further so as to
benefit more people. Ironically, the resulting persistence of poverty would be likely to perpetuate
high fertility rates given that the poor are often dependent on large families for survival” (as cited
in Ogujiuba et al 2013, p. 86 – 87).
Table 1 shows the population of Nigeria between 2006 and 2014. The graph shows that Nigeria
population has been experiencing astronomically growth since the last decade and this has great
consequences on sustainable development in the country.

Table 1: From National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria, 2014. www.tradingeconomics.com,

World Bank

To really appreciate the seriousness and danger of population crash in Nigeria, we need to
examine its impacts on Nigeria’s ecosystem and resources. Oramah (2006) points out that these
impacts are seen already through:
• Non-renewable resource consumption and depletion like crude oil, coal etc

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• Land degradation and waste disposal
• Weather modification
• Rapid urbanization
• Water pollution, soil pollution and air pollution
• Desertification etc.
Thus, population control is seriously needed if Nigerian’s are to live sustainably, but the question
is: where is population control needed most in Nigeria and what might inhibit its success?
Oramah (2006) continued by stating that a lot of factors have been noted to work simultaneously
to inhibit population control in Nigeria. The following factors amongst many are generally
considered to be the most important:
Religion: The Islamic religion in Nigeria promotes large families with the encouragement of
early marriage and polygamous family system. The Christian religion in turn prohibits the most
effective forms of contraception and most are anti-abortion.
Lack of education: The lack of education especially as related to population education, sex
education and the lowering of infant mortality and birth rates.
Male-child preference: In many cultures in Nigeria, male offspring are more highly valued than
females for a variety of reasons (like carrying on the family name, greater upper-body strength
for physical labor), which leads to the common practice of continuous child birth in an attempt to
have male children.
Old-age social security: In many cultures in Nigeria, children are the only form of support for
the elder generation.
High infant mortality: The perceived need to have many babies in order that some will survive,
to work on the farm, support aged parents and so forth.
Demographic data: Most environmental scientists predict that the world’s population will be
between 10 and 20 billion, in which case, at present growth rate of 1.4%, we will reach a
carrying capacity within the next 50-100 years. What then will the population of Nigeria be, with
a population growth rate of 2.56% and contributing 4% of the world’s yearly population?

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 Table 2: The estimated total population of Nigeria in the near future
(Globalize Interactive World Map, 2005)
What then are the implications of exceeding the carrying capacity in an ecosystem like Nigeria?
The implications can be drawn from the analogies to the population growth of other life forms in
more limited ecological niches. (Oramah, 2006)

RESULTS ON THE EFFECTS OF POPULATION GROWTH IN NIGERIA

The overall effects of this growth on the living standards, resources use and the environment will
continue to change the Nigerian landscape for a very long period of time if nothing is done to
checkmate the rapid population growth.
Oramah (2006) for example suggested that these effects are presently felt most especially in;
energy consumption, carbon emissions, air pollution and human congestion.
Nigerian energy consumption: Energy consumption per capital for example, can be said to be
an indicator that reflects annual consumption of commercial primary energy (coal, lignite,
petroleum, natural gas and hydro, nuclear and geothermal electricity) in kilograms of oil
equivalents per capita. Nigeria's total primary energy consumption has more than doubled since
1980. Owing to its continuing population boom and the further development of the country's
economy (fueled by oil development), Nigeria's energy consumption has risen from just 0.42
quadrillion Btu (quads) in 1980 to approximately 0.92 quads in 2001. Petroleum consumption
accounted for the lion's share of Nigeria's total energy consumption in 2001, making up 61.4% of
the total. Natural gas accounted for the bulk of the remainder with 31.7%, with hydropower
(6.8%) and coal (0.2%) rounding out the country's fuel mix.
Carbon emission in Nigeria: In 2001, Nigeria emitted 23.5 million metric tons of carbon,
slightly down from a high of 27.7 million metric tons of carbon emitted in 1996 but still an

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overall increase since 1980, when the same figure was 18.9 million. Emissions from natural gas
accounted for 12.5 million metric tons (53.3%) of that total, with oil emissions making up 11.0
million metric tons (46.6%) coal for the remaining 0.04 (0.1%). The rampant flaring of natural
gas in the Niger Delta during oil production is the main culprit making natural gas the main
source of carbon emissions in Nigeria, other sources are fuel wood, automotive engines and
industries. This will definitely increase if the population growth is not checked.
Air pollution and human congestion in Nigeria: The increase in air pollution has remained a
problem in Nigeria, as other sources such as automobiles and diesel-fired electricity generators
contribute to the choking air in cities such as Abuja and Lagos, which are plagued by daily smog
shrouding the skyline of the central city. Studies carried out by the Federal Environmental
Protection Agency (FEPA) show a moderate-to-high concentration of pollutants such as carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, organic acids and hydrocarbons in the atmosphere,
the majority of which come from automotive engines and industries. The country's oil boom and
low oil prices also have led to an influx of cars and consequent traffic congestion which
continues to get worse. (Oramah, 2006)

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL

SUSTAINABILITY
The explosive population growth and the unfavourable spatial distribution in many parts of
Nigeria have contributed to the degradation of the environment and the depletion of resources.
The combined effect of human and animal pressure on land has accelerated the process of
decreased water infiltration, increased surface runoff, the drying up of surface water resource and
the loss of soil nutrients both in the Northern and Southern parts of the country. Nigeria’s
growing population combined with unsustainable production and consumption patterns is putting
increasing stress on forests, grassland, water, air, land and other essential resources.
Orimogunje et al (2011) stated that human activities such as felling trees for firewood and
clearing forest for agriculture have degraded the environment and depleted the natural resources.
In order to tackle the population and environment problems in Nigeria, conservation and
economic development should ideally be directed towards a common goal, that is, the rational
use of the earth’s resources to achieve the highest quality of living for mankind. They further
stated in their article titled “Population Growth: Implications for Environmental Sustainability”

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the need for studies to be undertaken on the interrelations between population and environment.
The results of this would be useful to policy makers in designing and implementing
socioeconomic development programme. These measures would contribute to achieving
development goals for sustainable development since necessary institutions and manpower
would be made available. Family planning programmes play a key role in sustainable
development. When family planning information and services are widely available and
accessible couples are better able to achieve their fertility desires. Even in adverse circumstances
family planning programs have meant slower population growth and improved welfare.
A wide range of programs addressing environmental and population problems is urgently needed
for a sustainable environment. These are tagged environmental actions. These include;
Preserving arable land, forests, water supplies, and coastal areas; Reducing pollution by curbing
factory emissions and promoting better sanitation; Conserving energy; and Using economic
incentives to reduce pollution and resource depletion; and (Orimogunje, Adegboyega, Banjo, &
Funmilayo, 2011)

SUMMARY
Although some views might vary as regarding the approach by this work, which is based on the
fact that population growth (a factor) plays a major role or acts as a major contributor in
environmental degradation of Nigeria’s environment and an impairment of sustainable
development. Certainly, it is not enough when one considers other numerous factors that can also
hamper sustainable development. This work is strongly of the view that population growth has a
lot of negative impact on Nigeria’s environment and sustainable development.
Most econometric studies, including that of Panayotou and Sungsuwan conducted in Northeast
Thailand, have found that population density, among other factors contributes significantly to
deforestation which is partly responsible for environmental depletion (Panayotou, 1996).
Since Nigeria is still a developing country when compared to other advanced western countries
that have improved technology and manpower to handle issues related to population growth, it
will be worthwhile to earnestly control the increasing growth or face a highly depleted
environment . Thus, it will be better to curtail this menace that is eminent in the next 27 years, so
that the Nigerian environment can be passed on to the generations coming in 27 years improved
and not impaired.

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CONCLUSION & RECOMMENDATIONS
Drastic measures are needed to solve this eminent time bomb that is fast eating its way like a
cankerworm into the potential existence of Nigeria as one of the most domineering nations in
Africa and the world at large. The age where population increase is seen by many in Nigeria as
the key to the control of political power and resources should be discarded and a proactive
approach adopted.
It will be adequate if Nigerians learn to think and act as sustainable world viewers rather than the
so called frontier world viewers of the environment. By acting as sustainable world viewers,
Nigerians will know the effects of a rapid population growth on the environment and its
resources. This is because continuous geometrical population growth will only add more
pressures on the environment and its resources and can only contribute more to unnecessary
congestion, water scarcity, air, land and water pollution and above all high unemployment rate
which at the moment stands at 28% (Globalis Interactive World Map, 2005).
For the already degraded environment, it will be helpful if strict adherence to the promotion of
environmental risk assessments prior to project initiations is adopted. Newer and tighter
regulations and enforcement of existing environmental and population laws will help stem the
degradation of the environment and excessive population growth. (Oramah, 2006)
There is also the need for urban regeneration and enhanced infrastructural development. As the
population of an urban centre increases, its need for infrastructure such as transportation, water,
sewage and facilities such as housing, commerce, health, schools, recreation and others
increases; therefore, increasing the environmental carrying capacity of the urban areas is
necessary for enhancing the liveability of cities in Nigeria. Massive rehabilitation and expansion
of urban infrastructure in the country should be taken more seriously. This should be done to
address the challenges of urbanization, urban governance, land management and shelter in
Nigeria. The issues of poverty (rural and urban) and sustainable urban cities should continue to
receive the attention of the government, just as the political will and commitment to formulate
and implement programmes and policies for development planning, housing, infrastructural
development and urban management should be accelerated.

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