The Federal Government has announced plans to begin local production of family planning materials to strengthen whole-of-government coordination and harness Nigeria’s youthful population for sustainable development.
A statement by Ado Bako, Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, said the government has inaugurated an inter-ministerial platform to drive the initiative.
Pate described the move as a milestone for Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, noting that local production would cut reliance on imported commodities, create jobs for young Nigerians and generate domestic economic value.
Inaugurating the platform in Abuja, Pate said Nigeria’s population remains its greatest asset and must be deliberately transformed into a productive resource driving economic growth.
He said the platform aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a prosperous, peaceful and people-centred Nigeria, warning that the country’s fast-growing population could become a liability without adequate investment in health, education and empowerment.
With an estimated population of 230 million projected to hit 450–500 million by 2050, Pate stressed the need for deliberate human capital investment. The platform will adopt a life-course approach spanning adolescence to old age, with the Health Ministry strengthening health systems and service access, and the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning driving development planning and resource allocation.
