By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
The federal government has launched Revised National Population Policy Strategic Plan (SP).
Speaking at the launch, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, Chairman National Population Commission, said the Strategic Plan of Action is a well-organized document that link all the sectors and other population and development issues to the National Population Policy.
“These sectors include Health Concerns; Adolescents and Young People; Education; Communication; Population Dynamics; Population Groups with Special Needs; Environment; Gender; Population and Development Planning; Population Statistics; ICPD25 Nairobi Summit Commitments; Sustainable Development and Population Goals, among others.
“The Action Plan is a variant of a logical framework designed to facilitate implementation, track financing of activities, mapping of progress and is reader-friendly.”
He further said that the implementation of the Strategic Plan will require elaborate, consistent, sustained and well-coordinated stakeholders’ involvement and engagements at all levels including effective collaboration and partnerships.
“I acknowledge with gratitude the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Health Policy Plus (HP+) support for the development of the Strategic Plan and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for funding the production of the document.
“I am very convinced that, the operationalization of the Strategic Plan, will facilitate the implementation of the National Development Plan (2021-2025) and enable the tackling of our population management challenges, holistically. Finally, the effective implementation of the Strategic Plan will position Nigeria to achieve the overall goal of improving the Quality of Life and Better Standards of Living for all the People of Nigeria.”
Also speaking, the Population Advisory Group (PAG), Spokesperson, Ambassador Usman Sarki, said the launch of the Revised National Population Policy Implementation Strategic Plan (SIP) signals a landmark achievement in the work of the Commission.
“It also marks a watershed in the administration of His Excellency President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, under whose leadership the national census programme has been resuscitated and will be implemented.
“The Revised National Population Policy and the Strategic Implementation Plan are the guidelines towards the effective population management and conduct of the census in the country. Plans and strategies around human capital development, effective implementation of social and economic policies and the extension of services like education, healthcare and housing to Nigerians, will be contingent on the successful realisation of the objectives of the Revised National Population Policy and the Strategic Implementation Plan.
“The role of the PAG therefore; will be to provide expert advice towards leveraging the services and facilities that are available in various funds, programmes and agencies of multilateral bodies like the United Nations, and international finance institutions like the World Bank, the African Development Bank, etc.
“Adequate resourcing for the implementation of the Strategic Plan and the overall work of the NPC will be crucial to the attainment of the Federal Government’s objectives towards conducting a credible, objective, scientific, unbiased, legitimate and successful national population and housing census in 2023.
“Beyond financing and other material resourcing, the deployment of well trained, capable and competent personnel to man the various complicated and arduous efforts entailed in such an exercise should not be underestimated. The PAG will provide the necessary advise in the effective mobilisation of personnel and targeted deployment of workers towards the realisation of the full potentials of the national population and housing census.
“A lot is expected of the PAG and the members are ready, willing and able to offer their services to the Commission and the nation, to ensure that the cross-cutting mandates of the various agencies are streamlined and channelled towards the successful and efficient discharge of their onerous responsibilities.
“The PAG members are also aware of the need to deepen collaboration with national, regional and international partners towards achieving the successful discharge of the mandates of the NPC and PAG. As such, we welcome the readiness of the UNFPA, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), the World Bank, USAID and other partners to assist Nigeria in the formulation and implementation of population policy and related policies in the country.”
