HIGH BIRTHRATE🤰🤱: CAUSES, EFFECTS AND POSSIBLE SOLUTION IN NIGERIA 🇳🇬

Written By:

HUSAINI BASHIR 

U15MM2024 

Giving birth as everyone generally knows is a gift which Almighty grants some of his servants, it is a blessing to have high number of children if parents could take care of them and meet up all their demands. The increase in childbirth by irresponsible parents has been the rationale why such parents abandoned their children.

Nigeria is dominated by followers of two religions, Muslims who are mostly in the north while Christians are found in the south, a man in Islam could marry more than one wife while in Christianity it is one wife only. Some parents give birth uncontrollably and leave them for the society, such children grow up without counseling or parental trainings and end-up causing troubles.

One of the reasons why birth is on the increase in Nigeria is that some men that can take care of one wife marry more whenever their salaries or earnings are increased; such money if judiciously used could better the lives of family members but end up in exacerbating their conditions. Some parents shun family planning and put wives at risk because some women encounter complications during child delivery.

High rate of uncatered children also increase criminal activities in societies, most children are left to feed themselves and they are easily influenced by criminals into all forms of criminalities on small amount of money. Therefore the more children are born by irresponsible parents, the higher their vulnerability into thuggery, banditry, insurgency, etc.

Skyrocketing rate of illiteracy also contributes in high birthrate; parents that are knowledgeable in both religious and western education give birth to few children while illiterate ones view uncontrolled birth as opportunity to have children that would be helping them at farms or places of occupation. 

One of the mecessary measures that would reduce high childbirth rate is the regular orientation of parents especially those in accessible areas like hamlets.

Another measure that mitigates high childbirth is embracing family planning, planning on the number of children to have is good because parents could carter for each family member’s need without stress. Lastly, authorities should make it compulsory that persons whose income is to take care of one wife must not marry more, if this is done, food, clothing and shelter along with familys' medical bills could be paid for with ease.