The National Population Commission, NPC, is raising red flag over what it describes as Nigeria’s real fertility crisis, not declining birth rates, but the alarming inability of millions to make empowered reproductive choices.
As the World marks the 2025 World Population Day, the NPC is demanding urgent and coordinated action to tackle the systemic issues stifling reproductive freedom, especially for young people and women in underserved communities.
At a media briefing in Calabar, the Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission for Cross River State, Alex Ukam, said this year’s theme, “Real Fertility Crisis,” is a bold call to confront the growing disconnect between reproductive intentions and lived realities.
He emphasized that the issue is not merely about how many children people are having, but why millions cannot have the number of children they truly want.
Ukam called for a nationwide scale-up in reproductive health services, with focus on rural and hard-to-reach communities, stressing that empowering individuals with information and access is key to addressing fertility imbalances and ensuring sustainable development.
In solidarity, Andrew Kirima, the United Nations Population UNFPA Representative for Cross River State, described the fertility crisis as a silent emergency, adding that young people across the globe were not rejecting parenthood, but were held back by uncertainty, economic pressure, and limited access to reproductive tools.
As stakeholders continue to raise the alarm, the message is clear, that reproductive rights are development rights.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
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