Pronatalism: An Antithetical Value to Nigeria’s Reforms
The Nigerian state is heterogeneous. Despite some very sharp differences, certain values are common to all parts of the country. This paper focuses on one of such values with a view to assessing its role in bringing the Nigerian society to its present state. The value of attention is the value of pronatalism, which is here defined as beliefs and practices which underlie preference for many children. It is unfortunate that the ongoing reforms in Nigeria disregard the role of the value of pronatalism in the decay they seek to undo. A question is raised: What role has the constancy of the value of pronatalism and the resultant surge in population size played in getting the nation into the present political predicament? The paper appraises the stance of government on population matters over the years and notes that the co-incidence of the ills of rapid population growth and non-responsive governance has, more than any other factor, contributed to the present state of socio-political deformation. Based on this diagnosis, therefore, it is advocated that a negation of the value of pronatalism be factored into the reforms, if they must work.