By Adeboye Ado
An Ondo-based industrialist, Femi Akinkuebi, has called on the Federal Government to place Nigeria’s population at the centre of its economic planning, warning that failure to do so could lead to long-term instability.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Akinkuebi said successful economies such as China and India achieved global prominence by treating population as a strategic economic resource rather than a burden.
“China did not become a global economic power by accident; it became one by understanding the simple truth that population is wealth,” he said.
He explained that China deliberately harnessed its massive population through policies aimed at creating jobs, attracting investment and building a resilient workforce. Large-scale housing estates, expressways and modern transport systems were implemented not as political showpieces but as economic infrastructure to engage millions productively, he added.
“Today, the same population that once looked like a burden has become China’s greatest economic weapon — a consumer base, a workforce, and an engine of unstoppable production,” Akinkuebi said.
The industrialist lamented that despite Nigeria’s young and vibrant population national planning has not tapped this demographic advantage. “These are human resources wasting away, angry not because they want trouble, but because the system has failed to give them purpose, direction or opportunity,” he said.
Akinkuebi criticised development projects that do not stimulate long-term economic activity, noting that roads without industries create movement, but not prosperity.
“Construction projects offer temporary employment, but industrial ventures sustain thousands of families over decades. Roads without industries are simply pathways leading to frustration,” he said.
He urged the government to create policies and industries capable of absorbing millions of young people into productive sectors as a way to reduce youth restiveness and unlock sustainable growth.
“Are we creating industries that match our population size? Are we turning our youths into innovators, manufacturers, farmers, creators and builders?” Akinkuebi asked.
He concluded that the biggest risk Nigeria faces is not its population size, but its failure to utilise it effectively, calling for a shift from politics-driven development to population-driven planning. “Nigeria’s prosperity depends on it,” he said.