Does Large Population = Poverty in Nigeria?
The economy cannot grow fast enough to provide for the millions of additional people born each year. The irony is that having more children is directly linked to poverty and lack of education. The educated urban classes tend to have less children and live relatively comfortably. Many poor and uneducated rural dwellers tend to have children throughout their reproductive lifespan, with their poverty being increased with each additional child born. In days gone by, large families were seen by our ancestors as an insurance policy against poverty. Children were expected to farm the land, and provide for their aged parents. Nowadays each additional child equals one additional mouth to feed and additional person to educate. Our African extended family culture where one is literally his/her brother’s keeper also perpetuates poverty in large families. This extended family culture condemns not just parents, but the entire family to the risk of poverty as the entire family bears the responsibilit
