Population: Growth And Census With The Associated Attendant Problems (Re-edited by Toluwalase Solanke)

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Population growth is influenced by birth rate, death rate, migration, and healthcare, among others.

Lesson Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Discuss the problems associated with population census, especially in West Africa.
2. Explain the determinants of population size and growth.
3. Identify the factors that affect the size of a country’s population.
4. Discuss the reasons for high population growth in West Africa.

Problems Associated with Population Census

In West Africa, censuses face many challenges such as:

1. Inadequate funds. Conducting a population census is very expensive because it requires printing millions of forms, buying vehicles, training staff, and paying allowances. In many West African countries, governments often face financial difficulties and may not provide enough money. This leads to poor organisation, incomplete coverage, and unreliable results.
2. Poor infrastructure. Bad roads and lack of transport facilities make it difficult for census officials to reach remote villages, riverine areas, or mountainous regions. Without good infrastructure, many people living in rural areas may be left uncounted. This reduces the accuracy of the census.
3. Illiteracy. A large number of people in West Africa can’t read or write. This makes it difficult for them to understand the census questions or fill in the required information correctly. In such cases, census officials may have to guess or interpret answers, which can reduce the reliability of the data collected.
4. Shortage of trained staff. A population census requires a lot of trained personnel to carry out the work effectively. However, many countries don’t have enough qualified staff. Sometimes untrained or inexperienced people are recruited, and this leads to mistakes during data collection and recording.
5. Political interference. In some countries, political leaders try to manipulate census figures to favour their region or ethnic group. They may inflate the population numbers in their areas to gain more political representation or government resources. This interference weakens the credibility of the census.
6. Cultural and religious beliefs. Some cultural and religious groups see the census as unnecessary or even harmful. For example, certain people may believe that counting their family members brings bad luck, while others may fear that the information will be used for taxation or military service. As a result, they may refuse to cooperate, making the census incomplete.
7. High population mobility. Many people in West Africa move frequently from one place to another in search of jobs, trade, or farming opportunities. This movement makes it difficult for census officials to know exactly where to count them. Some people may be counted twice in different places, while others may not be counted at all.

Determinants of Population Size and Growth

The size and growth of a population depend on:

1. Birth rate. The birth rate is the number of babies born in a country within a given period, usually one year. A high birth rate increases the population size quickly, especially when more children survive to adulthood. Countries with limited family planning and strong cultural beliefs in having many children often record higher birth rates. On the other hand, a low birth rate means fewer people are added to the population, which can slow down population growth over time.
2. Death rate. The death rate is the number of people who die in a country during a particular period. If the death rate is high, population growth will be slow or even negative, as many people are lost to diseases, wars, or poor living conditions. However, when health care improves and people live longer, the death rate falls. This allows more people to remain in the population, leading to population growth.
3. Migration. Migration refers to the movement of people from one country or region to another. Immigration (people coming in) increases the population size, while emigration (people leaving) reduces it. For example, if many people move into a country for work or safety, the population will grow. But if large numbers of citizens leave a country due to unemployment or insecurity, the population will decline or grow more slowly.
4. Government policies. Government policies can strongly influence population size. Some governments encourage large families by giving incentives for more children, which leads to population growth. Others may try to control rapid growth by introducing family planning programs and limiting the number of children per family. For instance, China once had a “one-child policy” to control population growth, while some West African governments promote larger families to increase their workforce.
5. Wars and natural disasters. Wars and natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and famines can reduce population size sharply. Wars lead to deaths, displacement, and destruction of resources, making survival difficult. Similarly, natural disasters can wipe out communities, reduce food supply, and cause diseases. These events reduce population size and may slow down growth for years, depending on the level of destruction and recovery efforts.
6. Health services. The availability and quality of health services greatly affect population size. When there are good hospitals, doctors, medicines, and vaccines, more people live longer, and fewer babies die at birth. This reduces the death rate and increases population growth. On the other hand, in areas with poor medical facilities, high infant mortality and widespread disease can reduce life expectancy and limit population growth.

Factors that Affect the Size of a Country’s Population

1. Fertility rate. Fertility rate refers to the average number of children born to women in a country. When fertility rates are high, the population grows quickly because more babies are being born. In countries where large families are encouraged for cultural, social, or economic reasons, the population tends to rise faster. On the other hand, if fertility rates are low, population growth will be slower.
2. Mortality rate. Mortality rate is the number of deaths in a population within a specific period. If many people die at a young age due to poor health care, hunger, or wars, the population won’t grow much. However, if the death rate is low, meaning more people live longer, the population will increase. Therefore, high death rates reduce the size of a population, while low death rates increase it.
3. Availability of health care. Health care is an important determinant of population size. Countries with good hospitals, doctors, medicines, and vaccines are able to reduce deaths from diseases, especially among children. This leads to a healthier and longer-living population. In contrast, countries with poor health care systems often experience higher death rates, which slows population growth.
4. Food supply. The availability of enough food affects how well people live and survive. A steady supply of nutritious food helps reduce malnutrition and deaths, especially among children and mothers. When food is plentiful, people live healthier and longer lives, leading to population growth. On the other hand, food shortages and famines can cause deaths and reduce the population.
5. Migration. Migration refers to the movement of people into or out of a country. When more people move into a country (immigration), the population increases. When more people leave (emigration), the population decreases. For example, many young people leaving West African countries in search of better opportunities abroad reduce the population size at home.
6. Education. Education, especially for women, influences family size and population growth. Educated people are more likely to delay marriage and childbirth, and they usually prefer smaller families because they understand the cost of raising children. Lack of education, on the other hand, often leads to early marriages, many children, and rapid population growth.
7. Cultural beliefs. Culture and traditions strongly influence population size. In some societies, having many children is seen as a sign of wealth, strength, or blessing, which encourages high birth rates. In other cultures, however, people may prefer smaller families. Practices like polygamy also increase the number of children in a family, thereby increasing population size.

Reasons for High Population Growth in West Africa

West Africa has one of the highest population growth rates in the world due to:

1. High birth rates. In most West African countries, families generally prefer to have many children. This is partly because children are seen as a source of labour for farming, trading, and other family activities. Large families are also considered a form of social security for parents in old age, since children are expected to take care of them. As a result, birth rates remain high, and the population continues to grow rapidly.
2. Early marriages. In many parts of West Africa, people get married at an early age, sometimes in their teenage years. Early marriage extends the childbearing period for women, allowing them to give birth to more children over their lifetime. This tradition, supported by cultural and religious practices, contributes significantly to the high population growth in the region.
3. Cultural and religious beliefs. Cultural and religious values in West Africa encourage families to have many children. In some cultures, having a large number of children is seen as a blessing from God or as a sign of wealth and social prestige. Religious groups sometimes discourage the use of contraceptives and promote childbirth as a duty, which further increases the population growth rate.
4. Low level of family planning. Family planning services aren’t widely available or properly used in many West African countries. Some people lack knowledge about contraceptives, while others avoid them due to cultural taboos or religious objections. This results in unplanned pregnancies and larger family sizes, thereby raising the population growth rate.
5. Polygamy. Polygamy, where a man marries more than one wife, is still common in some parts of West Africa. Each wife may give birth to several children, and when combined, this leads to very large families. Polygamy therefore contributes to the high birth rate and rapid population growth in the region.
6. Improved health care. Although health facilities in West Africa are still developing, improvements in hospitals, vaccination, and maternal care have reduced the number of deaths among children and mothers. More babies now survive infancy, and people generally live longer. This decline in infant and maternal mortality helps to increase the population size.
7. Decline in death rates. Modern medicine, better nutrition, and public health campaigns have reduced deaths caused by diseases such as malaria, measles, and cholera. With fewer people dying young, the overall death rate has dropped. As birth rates remain high, this gap between high births and declining deaths naturally leads to rapid population growth.

Lesson Summary

• In West Africa, censuses face challenges such as inadequate funds, poor infrastructure, political interference, illiteracy, lack of trained staff, cultural and religious resistance, and population mobility.
• The size and growth of a population depend on birth rate, death rate, migration, government policies, availability of health care, food supply, and effects of wars or disasters.
• Fertility rate, mortality rate, health care services, food supply, education, migration, and cultural beliefs all influence population size.
• West Africa experiences high population growth because of high birth rates, early marriages, polygamy, cultural and religious beliefs favoring large families, low use of family planning, improved health services, and a decline in death rates.

Tags:

Illiteracy, Political Interference, Birth Rate, Death Rate, Migration, Immigration, Emigration, Fertility Rate, Mortality Rate, Health Services, Food Supply, Education, Cultural Beliefs, Early Marriage, Family Planning, Polygamy, Population Growth

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