The outgoing Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Abdul’aziz Yari, has said the increasing rate of unproductive population in the country constitutes a time bomb and must be addressed.

Mr Yari, who is also the outgoing governor of Zamfara, stated this during the valedictory session of the National Economic Council (NEC) held at the State House, Abuja, on Thursday.

The governor who said: “We are sitting on a time bomb,” stressed the need for urgent actions against the increase in the number of unproductive population in the country.

He, therefore, urged the federal government to expand the economy by way of spending more on the nation’s agricultural sector to check the menace of youth redundancy in the country.

“I will say, yes, government has done tremendously well in terms of expanding the economy through agriculture by spending over N200 billion through the anchor borrower programme but we need to do more because we all agree that agriculture is the mainstay of this economy.

“It provides over 80 per cent of the employment. So, if two trillion naira can be spent yearly on oil development we need to increase our spending on agriculture too.

“With what we are seeing as governors especially from the zone where I come from, the rate of population growth, if nothing is done to address it, I am afraid Mr Chairman, we are sitting on a time bomb. And that’s the truth.

“Mr Chairman, we have a very gigantic job and we have to start now. If other associations are doing nothing, we have to lay a foundation otherwise in the next 10 to 15 years if we did not plan properly, we will be faced with a serious problem.

“I think even Niger Republic that is not up to the size of Kano State, they have their plan on the population; they know the number of people they have, the dead, new born and all. Mr Chairman, if Nigeria must move forward we must expand our economy,’’ he said.

On ways to boost the nation’s revenue base, Mr Yari said that “proactive measures must be taken to ensure that some laws are repealed most especially the ones that have to do with NNPC, the issue of Offshore, Royalties Payment and other issues.”

He advised that revenue generating agencies of the government should be given targets, saying “with my experience from 2011 to date I think we are just giving them free hand.

“We need to give them a kind of target, even the NNPC itself. What the NNPC is spending especially when it comes to the issue of cash call, it’s in trillions but what comes into the basket for two hundred million people to share is very meager.”

Mr Yari, who officially introduced the Chairman-elect of the forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, thanked his colleagues for giving him the opportunity to serve them in the last four years.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State, who spoke on behalf of governors from the South-west at the event, described members of the council as the set of governors that the subsequent council should emulate, because of their team spirit.

He noted that they were able to talk freely and express themselves, without actually considering whether somebody was PDP or APC, saying their common objectives was the economic issues that pervaded the whole country.

He said: “Considering the fact that we all came in when we had a backlog of salaries, I want to congratulate us because when we came in almost about 27 states could not pay salaries.

“And then, two subsequent meetings led to Mr president giving us the intervention which also led to the clearing of the backlog.

“So, we like to say a big thank you to the president and vice-president for taking us through that resession.’’

Outgoing Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo, who also spoke on behalf of South-east governors , commended President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for their passion and love for the country.

Mr Okorocha, who lamented that he would be missing his colleagues, threw the venue of the meeting into loud laughter when he jokingly advised Mr Osinbajo to always distance himself from Adams Oshiomhole and Nasir El-Rufai.

Mr Oshiomhole is the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) while Mr El-Rufai is the current governor and governor-elect of Kaduna State.

Mr Okorocha, who is believed to have `political misunderstanding’ with Oshiohmole jokingly said: “I feel like a member of the family when I look at my left and right, even the worst of them like the Oshiohmoles and El-Rufais even within this I still feel like member of the family.

“This people I mention, Mr chairman (Osinbajo) I do not know why you share one thing in common with them. May I request you henceforth to distance yourself from them.

“I will miss this chamber really and I don’t know where I will meet people like El-Rufai again to talk to.

“All my colleagues especially the outgoing ones have contributed a lot today to what we have as Nigeria.’’

The governor also advised the council to set targets for state governors so as to encourage performance in states.

(NAN)

Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/331371-population-growth-nigeria-sitting-on-time-bomb-governor-yari.html

Make I go born

Let it expload make everybody dy kuku go

Tell that to your brothers that refuse to make use of their brain... In some countries, it is a blessing but here it is bomb waiting to explode and unfortunately my oga at the top seems not concern.

Its weird he mentions everything except the contraceptives, female education and tax incentives to reduce population growth. The population growth rate along side rising unemployment rate is scary. The government has to tackle both immediately with combo of economic reforms and social engineering similar to Singapore not China.

He, therefore, urged the federal government to expand the economy by way of spending more on the nation’s agricultural sector to check the menace of youth redundancy in the country.

“It provides over 80 per cent of the employment.

Logically the agricultural sector isnt going to employ more people as a percentage as productivity rise. The main growth in sector is food processing. I'd suggest going towards manufacturing and mining as simple solution.

Ur mean northern nigeria ?

All the bad stats in nigeria comes from the north

Yari is one of the clueless governor Nigeria will ever have. Nigeria population is growing faster and you that ought to cater for the education sector of your state, you are no where to be found. so so pathetic. EFCC should please investigate Yari after handing over to the pdp governor elect. repositioning education sector and adopt good economic policies, then you will see how our population will help our course.

“I think even Niger Republic that is not up to the size of Kano State, they have their plan on the population; they know the number of people they have, the dead, new born and all. Mr Chairman, if Nigeria must move forward we must expand our economy,’’ he said.

What's ur plan? If you dont know about the birth and death rates in your state it's your fault. How do you as governor plan without this info? LG is supposed to keep track of it constitutionally and NPC also keeps track.

On ways to boost the nation’s revenue base, Mr Yari said that “proactive measures must be taken to ensure that some laws are repealed most especially the ones that have to do with NNPC, the issue of Offshore, Royalties Payment and other issues.”

Why are most your suggestions directed towards FG instead of states. What are states doing to help themselves...

Him that is talking, i wonder how many wives and children he keep for his ‘ba shiga’ house!?

mrvitalis:
Ur mean northern nigeria ?

All the bad stats in nigeria comes from the north

Southern Nigeria's fertility rate is not significantly different from the North. It's a general problem to be addressed. Nigerians breed like rats.

Blue3k:


What's ur plan? If you dont know about the birth and death in your state it's your fault. How do as governor plan without this info? LG is supposed to keep track of it constritutional and NPC also keeps track.



Why are most your suggestions directed towards FG instead of states. What are states doing to help themselves...

He's not correct in the comparison of Kano and Niger Republic.

Lol. Oga you have forgotten they are the almajiri population you guys need to get to power? The result is already here in the Book Haram we have seen and yet to see.

The north is irreparably daft. In your religion you were told to marry at most 4, you turned to competition to marry up to 4 wives. Those who marry less than 4 start looking like sinners. This is even when you were not told that to marry 1 is sin.

They claim is because the number of women outnumber men. If you marry 4 women and each of them give birth to a minimum of 3 girls, what have you done to the society? You took out 4 and gave out 12.

Even in advanced Muslim society, people have become conscious of the number of kids they produce. Bible said that a man who cannot take care of his family is worse than an unbelleiver.

Each time I go to the north and see how beggars fill the street and how unkept kids are, I feel so ashamed

amaniro:


He's not correct in the comparison of Kano and Niger Republic.

I agree he's exaderatterated on population numbers. I dont know if Niger Republic has a plan about population. They have highest birth rate in the world at 7 kids per woman.

Abeg what kind of weed do these so called northern leaders/elites smoke Emir SLS raised a similar observation some years back but they persecuted him till point of disposing him from the throne.

Meanwhile, the core north is the region that sadly contributed to this ugly & fearful menace.How will scourge like BH, Fulani terrorism, banditary etc end when an 18years fella will marry 4wives and give birth to unproductive population as potential terrorists?

Blame the useless prophet of the religion of piss for encouraging many wives and uncountable children just for the sake of competing with the other enlightened religion.

Useless pigs slamming their heads everywhere without sense. You bastards need your useless born throway children to terrorize the country, that's why you keep proliferating without plan...

Bastards. Thunder fire the useless religion of piss and shit
God punish your generations... Useless terrorists

Birth control is the answer. But yet I heard kano state government budget 5 billion naira for this year iyawo yanriyan

Very normal in a country where having children is an achievement. As if cows did not procreate.

BuhariAdvocate:
Birth control is the answer. But yet I heard kano state government budget 5 billion naira for this year iyawo yanriyan

This and the mindset that it is special to have kids. It's one of the most natural and ordinary things.

Nigeria my country. One day we will be proud of this country but we need good selfless leaders, not this people feeding us with lies and fighting one side corruption.

Plenty Almajiri children.

When did he start population census analysis?


Need help with your business? Check my signature

Let the bomb go off....I'm sure it'll burn down all the tables people been shaking and turning for months.
There are measures for population control yet the MF is spewing garbage

You people know we sitting on a time bomb and still yet corruption is rife, jobs are not being created but remember that the rich cannot sleep when the poor are hungry.

No jobs no opportunities so that idlw Nigerian youth finds solace in cult groups, armed robbery gangs and the like

If our population varies directly with our GDP how nice could it be?
But alas, the inverse is the case.

Racoon:
Abeg what kind of weed do these so called northern leaders/elites smoke Emir SLS raised a similar observation some years back but they persecuted him till point of disposing him from the throne.

Meanwhile, the core north is the region that sadly contributed to this ugly & fearful menace.How will scourge like BH, Fulani terrorism, banditary etc end when an 18years fella will marry 4wives and give birth to unproductive population as potential terrorists?

Lord have mercy. That picture breaks my heart

When a shoe shiner from north will marry 4 wives with 22 children even babiya Allah beggers do marry marry like 4 wives too, then come to south west you will see one isiaka or wasiu wey dey do owo mi da for mile 2 go get 3 baby mamas kobo he no dey contribute for upkeep of his multiple children

mayb start asking how many child does this dickhead has..