Rabi’u Khalil Kura,From Rano Zone
“The National Population Commission (NPC), in collaboration with FCDO Lafiya, a non-governmental organization, has organized a one-day stakeholders’ orientation workshop on Demographic Dividend in Kano State.
The workshop aimed at raising awareness and strengthening collaboration around population-related development planning.
Declaring the workshop open, the Federal Commissioner, NPC Kano, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Tsanyawa, in his opening remarks, described the gathering as a crucial milestone in Nigeria’s collective journey to harness the potential of its youthful population for sustainable development. He stressed that realizing the demographic dividend requires more than statistics—it calls for people-focused policies, purposeful action, and coordinated investments in education, healthcare, youth empowerment, and job creation.
Dr. Tsanyawa expressed appreciation to the FCDO Lafiya Programme for its instrumental support in amplifying NPC’s advocacy efforts, especially in Kano. He also acknowledged the critical role played by religious and traditional leaders in promoting community ownership of development programs, shaping values, and driving behavioural change
In his welcome address, the Director, NPC Kano State Office, Mallam Balarabe Kabeer, noted that the workshop serves as a timely platform to engage key actors on their roles in realizing the benefits of population transition. He urged religious leaders, media, civil society, and zonal information officers to take the message to the grassroots.Mallam Balarabe Kabeer also delivered a detailed presentation on the roles and mandate of the National Population Commission, highlighting the Commission’s responsibilities in civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS), census planning, population data management, and its broader function in informing evidence-based policymaking across all sectors of governance.
The event featured goodwill messages from representatives of zonal information officers, Ulamas, Hisbah Board, non-governmental organizations, and media practitioners, all pledged support for awareness creation and sequncial campaigns strategies on population and development.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of two technical papers by resource person, Ameer Sulaiman, titled:(1) “Understanding Demographic Dividend”, and(2). “Harnessing the Demographic Dividend – The Journey So Far.”The papers provided insights into Nigeria’s population structure, opportunities for growth, and policy gaps.
Participants expressed satisfaction with the knowledge gained and pledged to step up grassroots sensitization—particularly on issues such as girl-child education, family planning, youth employment, and civil registration.The workshop concluded with a collective call for stronger multi-sectoral collaborations and sustained stakeholders engagement to support Kano State—and Nigeria’s—efforts toward achieving a productive, healthy, and empowered population.
