Oludayo Olorunfemi
ABSTRACT
The global population has more than tripled since the middle of the twentieth century, rising from roughly 2.5 billion in 1950 to nearly 7.9 billion in 2021. According to United Nations (UN) projections, the global population will reach about 11 billion people by the end of the twenty-first century, when it is predicted to stabilise. The population of Nigeria follows the same patterns as the rest of the world. Her population continues to rise at a rapid rate. To achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those linked to reproductive health, education, gender equality, climate change, and the environment, comprehensive law and policy frameworks are required to slow population increase and advance gender equality in decision-making at family and community levels. This paper examines the current law and governance frameworks on gender equality in Nigeria to evaluate gaps that continue to exacerbate the population explosion. We offer several drivers of women's marginalisation at family and community levels, such as an imbalance in power relations, limited education for girls and women, financial inequality, and marginalisation in decision making, that continue to worsen population increase in Nigeria, therefore, slowing down progress on the SDGs' successful implementation and population control. On a multidimensional approach, we examine SDGs 5, 6, 7, 11, and 13 as tools for population control, women empowerment, and gender equality. The SDGs dynamics provide a model for environmentally healthy and long-term population control. This article analyses this from a feminist perspective as integral to sustainable development policies and activities.
Keywords: population growth, SDGs, environment, Nigeria