The Role of Government in Family Planning!!!


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There was a time I was on a trip and while on the bus, I saw a woman with 5 little kids struggling to attend to each of them; when one was crying, the other would be busy shouting and disturbing her mother for snacks to munch on and when it was time to alight, she struggled with them including her bags. I wondered how she coped with them, and not only that, I could see how poor she was through her dress and the bad odour I kept perceiving from her and the kids, plus, she was dirty.

There we have those who do not stop giving birth to children, bringing them into the world and then scattering them around relatives/friends to help train and cater for them because they can't handle them in the aspect of education and provide them with the necessary resources to help them become successful.


I have seen lots of families who do not practice family planning but go with the flow, claiming that the Bible has commanded that we multiply and replenish the earth. Does that mean children should be made to suffer because of parents' ignorance of how to control their birth and only have the ones they can afford to train? This is one reason we see children being scattered everywhere with no place to sleep or that they are made to start working at a very young age to provide for the family just because the parents cannot take up the responsibility, in the end, some join bad gangs.

Just like the woman above, I am sure she would be finding it hard to give the kids quality treatment and it is why these children are not contented and would be seen in public begging and doing all sorts of bad things, especially indulging in crimes because they want to survive, and that their parents do not care about them.


I was talking with an aunt some years back. We were discussing family planning and how parents should make sure they only give birth to children they can take care of. She mentioned that there were two that their parents had and while in the University, she needed money, her father refused and the only question she asked him was "Why did you give birth to me if you cannot take care of me?" After she cuts the call, she sees an alert from the dad and knows he feels sad at such a question which she apologised to him later.


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This is so unfair because no child should be born into a world where there is no adequate plan on how to nurture and take care of them. In a country like Nigeria where the poverty rate is alarming, the ones who do not practice family planning are the poor or average individuals who believe that more children equals more enjoyment and reward, in the sense that when they give birth to more than 5 children, they will know how to send them out to look for jobs while they are being forced and trained to take up responsibilities at a younger age.

Most of the rich ones wouldn't. At least I have seen more than 70% of the rich who understand family planning and only go with 2 or 3 kids just so that they can give them the proper and adequate care they need, and that, they would be able to monitor their movements and activities.


Whether government should be involved in regulating the number of children a family should or can have is a controversial issue here and this can only be done in countries where they are facing overpopulation and scarcity of resources, in this case, Nigeria.

Nigeria is an overpopulated country and like I said, poverty is more rampant, but families will continue to give birth without proper knowledge, education and understanding. I believe this policy, if taken seriously would help manage population growth and ensure sustainable development. I believe that when population growth is controlled, there will be a better allocation of resources and the living standards of everyone will be improved. Children won't have to come to the world to suffer but given adequate care.

Also, having the families especially those who are ignorant and lack education on what family planning is and its importance should be what the government should focus on by employing professionals who would enlighten and educate them properly, followed by laying strong measures on reducing the population in the country through the regulation of the number of children a family can have.


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Thanks for your time reading. Looking forward to your interaction.

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20 comments
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It's annoying seeing people give birth to children excessively and I believe there should be more awareness about Family planning in this age we live in now.

The rich really don't have many children because they know the implications of it on the society.

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Of course, the life of the rich is simple. They already know the implications and have tried not to go beyond the numbers they want which they can care for them effectively.

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The most tragic reality of this is that it is the children that ends up suffering the consequences of lack of birth control. At the long run when the parents realise they are incapable of catering for their needs, they abandon the children to fend for themselves. This is one of the major cause of child labour.

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You are so right. Children are the ones that will suffer more because these parents, when they can't take care of them would abandon them in the street and there, they join gangs and do illegal things. It's so sad how children are being treated this way.

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You have raised a valid point. I also feel that government have a role to play. This has been done in some overpopulated countries like China, where they set a law to families not giving birth to more than two kids.

I don't know if that will work in Nigeria but creating massive awareness will help curb it to a bearable minimum.

Some women feel that of they produce many children, by the time they are all grown, she will be reaping from them. I wonder which school taught them that.

Couples should also be mandated to learn about family planning before they say I do

May God help us

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That's a wrong mentality that the more children the more reward. Won't they take care of them before then? How do they raise them when they don't have the resources and all they keep doing is bringing more to the world through their carelessness and ignorance.
Government needs to create awareness truly.

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Giving birth to children without any tangible plan of taking care of them is a condemnable act. When I see kids begin or struggling to survive, my mind goes to the selfish interest of their parents. Why give birth to a child that you can't care for? As one is roaming the street, the parents are under the blanket wetting the ground for another one to germinate. The government needs to come in. Children must be protected and defended. They don't deserve the suffering.

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Yes, children don't deserve to suffer or be treated unfairly because it isn't their fault here. Parents needs to wake up and realise how they are suffering these kids when all they know is to keep reproducing without proper plans on how to care for them.

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Very strong point. I think people don't take a view on these queries. This is really a big issue. And very happy that people are available who have courage to raise their voice

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Yes, they should raise their voices against these issues and things will be normal. Thank you, moaz.

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I think the Nigeria government is kind of creating awareness on family planning that's why both before delivery and after women are always advised to take up one but you know Nigerians whatever that is not done taking drastic measures is just a waste of time.

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Nigerians will always be Nigerians. There are families that will still go with their decision no matter what. Lol
But government should just do what is best.

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Yeah!! I totally agree with you.

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According to the statistics of UNICEF Nigeria has the highest out of school children in Africa in think so.
This was as a result of parents giving birth to children without proper care.
The government should implement child control among her citizens.

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You aren't wrong. Nigeria has large population of underage children too who are into works they shouldn't be doing just to help provide for their parents who have nothing doing but to keep giving birth.

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Poverty is more rampart here in Nigeria and funny enough, most parents haven't seen the need to limit family size but kept having such mentality that God will take care of them. Unfortunately, waiting for the government to regulate this policy in our country might mean waiting to infinity. I am of the opinion that parents should be more sensitised on the need to embrace family planning services either natural or artificial and plan adequately before bringing a life into this world. The woman in your story above, I really pity her..we can do better

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God will take care of them..as if He will come down. We all have our parts to play in providing for our needs while God does the rest. Parents should be sensitised and enlightened about family planning while they need to be careful in giving birth without proper planning on how to care for them.

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