Abstract
Despite the high fertility we are witnessing in Nigeria, the country is still undergoing demographic transition towards fertility reduction. This paper was aimed at assessing issues revolving around gender and demographic dynamics as they relate with the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Nigeria; most especially in the human development index (HDI). It was deduced from discussions thatlike other African countries, several factors have contributed to the sustained high fertility level in Nigeria. These factors include child and infant mortality rate, early childbearing which has prolonged the range of childbearing extending across almost all of the reproductive life span of female and male, universal and early marriage, high social values placed on childbearing and low use of contraception. These factors have impeded the achievement of some of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Nigeria. It was concluded and recommended that the Nigerian government, through its universal basic education programme of ensuring quality education for the less privileged, ensuring good health and well-being of the sustainable development goals, and promoting gender equality will go a long way in reducing the high fertility rate we are experiencing in Nigeria through prolonging the age at marriage of women, reducing mortality rate and improving women participation in the labour force thereby improving the living conditions of the people in general which is the demographic dividend every country is always aspiring for through the demographic transition.
Keywords: Development, Dynamics, Population, Sustainable, Nigeria
DOI: 10.36349/sojolics.2026.v02i01.046
author/Rilwan Akintayo AKINOKUN
journal/Sokoto JOLICS 2(1) | June 2026 |
