LISDEL Discusses Fast Tracking Nigeria’s Demographic Transition During National Parliamentary Summit

A Parliamentary Summit tagged “Fast Tracking Nigeria’s Demographic Transition” was convened by the Office of the Honorable Speaker of the House of Representatives in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC), with support from the World Bank. The summit was held on Monday 21^st November 2022 at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

The objective of the summit was to enhance the understanding of members of the 9^th National Assembly on the Demographic Dividend Agenda, increase their awareness and get the required buy-in for a stronger support for the Demographic Dividend Agenda of the country.

Stakeholders at the summit included members of the House of Representatives; the Minister for Women Affairs and her counterpart, Minister for State for Budget and Planning represented; the Emir of Shonga, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, World Bank Country Director, Executive Director, Legislative Initiative for Sustainable Development (LISDEL) Mrs. Juliana Abude-Aribo; the Director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO); Country Representative, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Deputy for Training, Research & Development NPFPB BKKBN, Indonesia, who shared the Indonesian experience on demographic transition virtually.

Speaking at the summit, the Speaker of the Federal House of Representative Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila stated that governments at all levels must identify and be deliberate in taking actions that must be sustained to maximize the advantages of the changing population structure. He stressed the need to consider deliberate, immediate, and sustained actions to drive a demographic transition that makes economic growth more attainable.

In her goodwill message on behalf of the Civil Society Organizations CSOs, the Executive Director of LISDEL Mrs. Juliana Abude-Aribo congratulated the legislators for convening the important and urgent summit. She said CSOs and LISDEL particularly has enjoyed working with the legislature, and most of the results achieved so far as agents of change are attributable to successful engagements with the legislature.  She cited that, one of such is the effective operationalization of the Basic Health Care Provision Fund (BHCPF) as well as the enactment of the National Health Insurance Authority Act (NHIA).

Mrs. Aribo then called on the legislators to make use of information that will emanate from the summit, not shying away from tackling the challenges that could prevent the country from reaping the dividends of demography.

She further reiterated the importance of distilling and pondering all relevant information that will catalyze their legislative functions and roles to address issues around maternal and child health, reproductive health, child spacing, more effective education as well as other important streams necessary for quality well-being.

Other dignitaries who spoke at the event urged the government to fully implement polices and actions geared towards deriving maximum dividends from demographic transition.

Contributors: Augustina Udoji and Philip Akoso, LISDEL