Bauchi state's population would grow from the current 7.3 million to over 26 million people by the year 2050 which is equivalent to the present population of the entire north eastern part of the nation.

Country Director of Health Policy Plus [HP+] Abuja, Mr Onoriode Ezire made this prediction yesterday during the launching of child spacing campaign under the Resources for the Awareness of Population Impacts on Development [RAPID] program organized by the Bauchi state ministry of health in collaboration with HP+ held at Bauchi government house.

According to him, Bauchi's population has increased seven-fold since 1960 from about a million people to close to 6.8 million in 2015, 7.3 this year adding that it grew by at least 3.6 per cent annually.

“The population of Bauchi will double in about 19 years. Population projections estimate that the state's population will grow almost four times larger by 2050, to over 26 million people,” He forecasted.

He advised that while the state government recognizes the need to improve access to vital resources such as education, healthcare and employment opportunities, greater investment in family planning in the state was critical to help curb the potentially negative consequences of rapid population growth.

Ezire who further disclosed that over half of the population of the state were people under the age of 15 which he foretold would continue to grow, said the development had enormous implications for future socio-economic development of the state 'as most youth are not yet part of the workforce, placing a heavy burden on the working age population.

“The large youthful population also constrains the availability and accessibility of basic health and education services. Once Bauchi's population reach working age, the number of jobs available may not match the number in need,” he pointed out.

He explained that RAPID was launched by the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on the 6th July 2017 saying it is an evidenced based advocacy tool which projects the social and economic consequences of high fertility on different sectors of the economy such as labour, education, health, urbanization and agriculture among others.

“RAPID is used to raise policy makers' awareness of the importance of fertility and population growth as factors in social and economic development. RAPID as an advocacy tool has been widely used in different countries across the world including Nigeria, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Kenya etc.,” he noted.

In his speech, Bauchi state Governor Mohammed Abubakar expressed appreciation to the Health Policy Plus for choosing Bauchi as the first state in the federation to launch the program. He said his administration has since its inception been giving priority to the health sector by allocating 16 per cent of annual budget to it and providing free health care services to pregnant women and children under the ages of five.

This is even as the governor promised that the state government would look into the recommendations of the health policy plus on child spacing and population impact with a view to assessing their effects and implementing them.

BY GRACE ENE JOSPH BAUCHI