IMPACT OF POPULATION GROWTH ON UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA (2000-2017)
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The world’s population was estimated to be nearly 6.1 billion people as the twenty-first century began. According to UN projections, the figure will be more than 9.2 billion by 2050, rising to a maximum of 11 billion by 2200. Over 90% of that population will live in developing countries (Todaro and Smith, 2006).
Population growth and production were positively correlated two thousand years ago. Increased population meant increased productivity and security. The world’s current modernization and technological advancement can be attributed to centuries of rapid population growth and economic expansion. When societies and economies first began to flourish hundreds of years ago, success was dependent on a productive agricultural sector. As the population grew, so did the number of workers and laborers.
would boost overall output. The economy inevitably expanded with more productive labor, and society reaped the financial benefits (Tartiyus, Dauda and Peter, 2015).
Population increases were once regarded as positive indicators of the potential for long-term economic growth. High fertility rates during these times allowed for more laborers while also helping to offset the correspondingly high death rates. The combined effects of “famine, disease, malnutrition, plague, and war” resulted in high and inconsistent death rates. Because many countries lacked modern medicine until recently, death rates remained relatively high for several centuries. As a result, in order to have any net population growth and eventually economic development, fertility rates had to be raised (Latimer and Kulkarni, 2008).
Following the country’s independence in 1960, a In 1964, a successful population census was conducted in Nigeria, with an estimated population of 55.6 million people taken into account. Since then, it has become clear that Nigeria’s population is rapidly expanding. A population census was conducted in 1991, and the country’s population increased to an estimated 88.5 million people. The analysis assisted National Development Planning in gaining more insight and allowing them to improve and develop their policies and planning (Evans, 2011). According to the UNDP, the Nigerian population is growing at a rate of 3% per year, with a birth rate of 40 per 1,000 people and a death rate of 15 per 1,000. (Gideon, 2016). An educated Nigerian woman is also expected to give birth.
compared to the average Nigerian woman who gives birth to 6 children in her lifetime. Based on past census and report data, it is clear that the population has been rapidly growing at a rate of 250% from 1964 to the present. This makes matching the country’s population growth rate and development difficult (Evans, 2011).
Nigeria at present has the highest population in Africa and the 10th in the world. According to reports, the Nigerian population is affected by three factors: fertility, migration, and mortality. It was discovered that population growth is increasing at a rate of 3% per year, implying a doubling time of 22 years (Gideon, 2016). This also implies that the country
Growing in a geometric pattern. The issue here is the country’s ability to grow proportionately in order to cope with and accommodate the increased population. The low infant mortality rate of 14 per 1,000 and higher life expectancy indicate a problem because it indicates a higher chance of survival (Evans, 2011).
The unemployment rate can either rise or fall proportionally to population growth or decline. Unemployment is invariably linked to population growth, particularly in developing economies like Nigeria. As a result, the importance of lowering the unemployment rate to mitigate its effects on the Nigerian economy cannot be overstated. The Central Bank of Nigeria (cited in Orumie, 2016) defined unemployment as the percentage of people who are unemployed.
the labor force (15-65 years old), excluding students and those who are medically unfit for work but cannot find work. Gbosi (2005) stated that the rising rate of unemployment in Nigeria is of great concern not only to policymakers, but also to society, and that the rate at which the population grows influences economic growth and, as a result, the GDP.
Nigeria’s unemployment rate is skyrocketing, despite an alarming economic downturn and rising population growth. If not checked, this duo tyrant can have disastrous consequences for the nation’s future economy.
As a result, the purpose of this research is to look into the impact of population growth on unemployment in Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Rapid population growth in Nigeria is also associated with unemployment, which ranges from 17 percent per year for the entire population to 60 percent for youths because job opportunities are fewer than the number of people looking for them, and stagnant economic performance because a large proportion of available resources is consumed rather than invested to generate growth. Furthermore, rapid population growth puts constant strain on resources, particularly agricultural land. For example, due to high population density in the Eastern states, up to 53% of farming populations cultivate less than 0.4 hectares per year, and in the more congested areas of those states, most farmers cultivate only 0.2 hectares per year.
Furthermore, as the population grows,
It became clear that the nation’s formal education is fueling unemployment, crime, and the cycle of poverty as graduates could not be absorbed at a geometric proportion relative to job placement that is growing at an arithmetic progression.
In Nigeria, there has been a noticeable increase in the rate of unemployment. In Nigeria, streets are littered with bike riders and hawkers with an average level of education who could have found work or displayed their skills and resources if appropriate environments and structures were in place. This situation has drawn the attention of unemployed youths to cybercrime, also known as 419. (Uddin and Uddin, 2013).
As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of population growth on unemployment in Nigeria.
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study
The study’s goal is to look into the impact of population growth on unemployment in Nigeria. The specific goals are as follows:
i. To investigate the impact of Nigeria’s population growth rate on unemployment.
ii. To look into the relationship between population growth and economic development in Nigeria.
iii. To learn about Nigeria’s current economic challenges in managing population growth.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions will guide this study:
i. How does the rate of population growth affect unemployment in Nigeria?
ii. What is the causal relationship in Nigeria between population growth and economic development?
iii. What are the current economic challenges in Nigeria for managing population growth?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses will be tested by the researcher:
1st Hypothesis:
In Nigeria, there is no significant relationship between population growth rate and unemployment.
In Nigeria, there is a strong correlation between population growth and unemployment.
Hypothesis number two:
In Nigeria, there is no significant causal relationship between population growth and economic growth.
In Nigeria, there is a significant causal relationship between population growth and economic growth.
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