1.1 - Nigeria Overpopulation

Question 1

Nigeria statistics on over-population

Answer 1

• 2013 population: 175 million people
• over 60% lived on less than a dollar a day
• country occupies 3% of land in Africa, but home to over 15% of its people

Question 2

Describe the issue of Lagos in Nigeria (4 examples)

Answer 2

• public utilities cannot cope with the amount of people
• congested roads
• scarcity of housing and adequate living places
• unhygienic conditions
• third largest city in Africa
• second most populated (14 million people in 2019) after Kano

Question 3

What are the problems caused in Nigeria by over-population (case specific)?

Answer 3

• Not enough housing in Kano
• Pollution of air and water in Port Harcourt
• Shortage of food and water in Yola
• High crime rates in Jos
• Not enough healthcare in Ibadan
• Congested roads in Lagos

Question 4

Resources in Nigeria (name 4)

Answer 4

• Oil
• Gas
• Iron ore
• Arable land
• Coal
• Zinc

Question 5

Why do the resources not provide wealth for the whole population (3 reasons)?

Answer 5

• Poor management
• Ownership by foreign companies - profit leakage
• Corruption

Question 6

Causes of overpopulation (name 5)

Answer 6

• High birth and fertility rate (5.24 children per woman)
• The age of marriage in some areas can be as low as 13 and 45% of women are married before they reach 18
• Larger families are traditionally associated with higher social status
• Religious beliefs lead to larger family size - polygamy from men means they can impregnate many women yearly
• Lack of education about family planning and contraception
• The decreasing death rate also contributes to the rising population
• Life expectancy is increasing

Question 7

Impacts of overpopulation on Nigeria

Answer 7

• Lack of fresh water which leads to the spread of disease
  * 29% of children in Nigeria do not have enough water to meet their daily needs
• Increased cultivation of land for food which leads to soil erosion and desertification
  * 19.5 million face acute food insecurity
• Increased pressure on already poor services such as health and education
• Higher crime rates
• High youth unemployment has led to increased gang activity and militant groups
• Development of informal settlements around cities particularly Lagos
  * 70% of Lagos population live in these
  * 66% live on less than $1 a day