Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou has blamed the country’s explosive birth rate on “misreading of Islam”, the UK Guardian reports.
He told the paper in an interview that the increase in population was hampering the country’s plan to adopt to the climate crisis and preserve its resources.
Niger, which is 98% Muslim, has a population of 22.4 million, a drastic increase from its eight million population in 1990.
“We have a 4% annual increase in population… the population will double in the next 17 years. By 2050 we may have the second biggest population in Africa apart from Nigeria,” said Mr Issoufou.
The use of contraception and family planning methods for men had reduced the birth rate to six children per woman.
The last official figures from the World Bank in 2016 put the rate at 7.2 children per woman, The Guardian reports.
He said that the Koran talks about responsible parenthood and having children one can care for.Quote Message: Before Islam came, women used to be married at the age of 18, but due to a misreading of Islam, young women were having babies at the age of 12 or 13. But what does the Koran say? If an educated person reads the Koran, it talks about responsible parenthood. Islam says you should only have children if you can take good care of them and properly educate them.”
Before Islam came, women used to be married at the age of 18, but due to a misreading of Islam, young women were having babies at the age of 12 or 13. But what does the Koran say? If an educated person reads the Koran, it talks about responsible parenthood. Islam says you should only have children if you can take good care of them and properly educate them.”
His views, he says, do not conflict with religious leaders’ who have opposed his advocacy for family planning.
“Religious leaders are with us in raising awareness among the people, and that is why we are seeing … a decrease [in birth rates]”, he said.
Source: Guardian
