Lagos is apparently the most populous city in Nigeria, with over a tenth of the country’s population living there. The menace of overpopulation in Lagos has been haunting ever since the high influx of citizens of other states into Lagos.

In this piece, Naij.com contributor, Chidi Okoye analyses what need to be done to decongest Lagos and one of such is the use of condoms and other family planning methods.

Opinion Highlights:

* The incoming administration of Governor-elect Akinwunmi to take measures to curb this malaise.

* Condoms, and other family planning methods, to be an integral part of this plan.

* A more aggressive tax regime to equally control immigration and residency would be needed.

Read his piece below:

Nigeria’s population is projected by the UN to cross the 250 million mark by 2030; entrenching the country as the fifth most populated nation by then. Over a tenth of this population will live in Lagos, the country’s commercial capital and a city with a liveable area of 356,861 hectares, of which 75,755 are wetlands. Despite the city’s current over-stretched infrastructure which is groaning under the weight of an estimated 23 million inhabitants, and which has made life hell for most of these residents, the situation is about to get worse real fast.

It is time for necessary painful decisions; and the incoming administration of Governor-elect Akinwunmi Ambode would need to make this a priority. The consequences of ignoring this malaise would make the hellish traffic congestions currently being experienced remembered with nostalgia in a few years; and also further compound the deplorable mass housing system that exists today. Mr Ambode would need to invest considerable resources in formulating and implementing a plan that would prevent the explosion of a city that is currently swollen with overpopulation.

Condoms, and other family planning methods, would need to be an integral part of this plan. Nigeria currently has the seventh birth rate in the world; a statistic that is expected to rise significantly as other nations begin to get a handle on family planning initiatives. In several communities of Lagos, as noticed in other states as well, the use of contraceptives such as condoms is non-existent; highlighting an appalling level of ignorance.

In 2013, 50-year-old Hueze Huesu heard about condoms for the first time in his life. His excitement was deflated later that night when he tried to use a condom while making love with one of his two wives. “She bluntly refused,” said the father of 10 children. “She said she was not a prostitute and queried why I wanted to use a condom when we have been married for years and never used one.”

Mr Huesu, like the millions of residents of his Makoko community and such communities as Oko-Agbon and Ago-Egun, do not practice any form of effective family planning. In such slum communities, it is commonplace to see families with 10 children and above. Insufficient basic amenities such as schools and hospitals in these areas have failed to control overpopulation. The high immigration numbers for the city have also worsened the situation in these areas. Every hour, an estimated 120 people enter Lagos; with the majority unable to pay high rent prices and opting to stay in such slums temporarily.

And it’s not just the men. A recent survey conducted in Lagos shows that over 67 percent of women in the state are not accessing family planning services due to health-related misconceptions. The PMA2014/Lagos Survey, conducted by the Performance, Monitoring and Accountability 2020, in partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, discovered that despite the availability of free family planning services in public and private health facilities, majority of respondents do not access these services. The major reasons given are steeped in ignorance – alleged interference with natural birthing processes and unwillingness of partners to take part.

The ongoing sensitisation of the masses on family planning initiatives and services, therefore, needs to be overhauled. Working with the several credible nongovernmental organisations involved in family planning programmes, the Lagos State Government would need to explore more workable policies and implementation methods. The ignorance that has hampered effective family planning in the state must be eradicated within the next decade for Lagos to stand a chance of controlling its problematic population growth.

And while working to control births, the state would need a more aggressive tax regime to equally control immigration and residency. The state’s current tax status (an estimated average of N24 billion generated monthly) is impressive; however experts are unanimous that the government is yet to achieve a 50% pass mark in relation to the population. Of the estimated 10 million taxable individuals in the state’s informal sector, only about 4 million are currently captured. The incoming administration must consolidate on the strides made by the incumbent government by increasing these numbers.

Widening the tax net would also be necessary in tackling immigration. The government would need to do more in identifying taxable but currently untaxed economic activities. Such unpopular taxes as the Consumption Tax and the Merriment Tax should be implemented more effectively. It is estimated that over N1 billion is spent monthly on the famed Lagos parties. Lagosians are known to be addicted to their parties; the government needs to get its share of this huge industry. Too many people live and work in Lagos without paying a kobo in taxes. A more aggressive tax regime that seeks them out and forces them to uphold their part of the social contract would weed out the leeches.

Of the city’s estimated 23 million inhabitants, experts believe the majority have no compelling reason to live in Lagos. These, and other strategies, would go a long way in managing the city’s population. It may not happen in 2030, or 2050, but if the state’s population growth is not managed, we may see Lagos adopting the unenviable title of being Nigeria’s biggest national security threat.

READ MORE: http://www.naij.com/438893-condoms-and-taxes-time-to-decongest-lagos.html