The Federal Government has urged relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in population and development to leverage on the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) to develop a robust 2018 budget on demographic dividend.
Mrs Fatima Mede, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, gave the task at a meeting of the National Task Force on Partners in Population and Development (PPD) on Wednesday in Abuja.
The meeting was on Mainstreaming Demographic Dividend into Budgeting of MDAs.
Demographic dividend is the economic growth that may result from changes to a country’s age structure.
Achieving demographic dividend requires sustained multi-sectorial investments in health, education, young people, aged, employment, women and girls, trade and industry economic growth as well good governance.
Mede, represented by Mr Lanre Adekanye, Deputy Director in the ministry, charged the MDAs to develop a robust 2018 budget that would expand the programmes and projects for achieving demographic dividend.
“I also wish to inform you that this gathering will be used as avenue for kick-starting discussions on ageing policy in Nigeria.
`The Ageing Policy will be a subset of the Social Policy of the Government,’’ she said.
The permanent secretary said that ERGP recognised rapid population growth as a risk to manage.
According to her, the country might find it difficult to achieve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and keep pace with the needs of a population that is expanding exponentially.
“Nigeria therefore needs to take a bold and proactive step that addresses the close nexus between the population age structure and our development status,’’ she said.
Mede condoled with the UNFPA over the loss of the Executive Director of the UNPFA, Late Prof. Babatunde Oshotimehin, who had contributed immensely to humanitarian service in the country.
She thanked the UNFPA for its support to the country in the areas of reproductive health, family planning, population and development, and humanitarian services.
Dr Sanjo Faniran, an Assistant Director and focal official in the ministry, said the meeting would discuss issues relating to planning and budgeting for population management.
Faniran said that the meeting would discuss the issues to achieving demographic dividend by relevant MDAs in Sexual Reproductive Health, Family Planning, Youth Empowerment and Population and Development in line with the ERGP.
“The issue of budgeting or whatever is going to be included in our budget from 2017 to 2020 should be whatever is contained EGRP.’’
The assistant director said that the ministry had commenced the process of 2018 budget and that was the reason the ministry called the partners to inform them on the processes.
He said the ministry also needed to inform the partners of those components that have to do with reproductive health, family planning, and population and development.
“The issue of population is actually spelt in the ERGP because population management is becoming an issue and we expect our partners to take up what they are supposed to do.
“To make sure that they put those issues in their budget so that the government can implement the priority areas as contained in the ERGP,’’ the director said.
Faniran, however, advised the MDAs to obtain copies of the ERGP and see the priority areas of the government regarding population, development and other related issues.
The meeting, organised by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning, and supported by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), attracted key MDAs working in areas of population and development. (NAN)