The human factor in national development: some reflections on population and development in Nigeria

The relationship between the effective utilization of human resources and successful socioeconomic development in Nigeria is examined. The author argues that Nigeria's current socioeconomic difficulties cannot be blamed on population growth alone, and maintains that "underutilization of human resources; lopsided production and distribution mechanisms; economic depression; and under-developed science and technology system; erratic climatic and agronomic conditions; the illegal exportation of food; [and] corruption and mismanagement of revenue, all constitute forces that simultaneously limit the national capacity to produce more resources for the growing population."