Nigeria’s population growth could fuel instability – World Bank

The President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, has warned that Nigeria’s rapidly growing population could pose a major risk to stability if deliberate and coordinated action is not taken to create jobs and economic opportunities for the youth.

Speaking during the 2025 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, Banga projected that Nigeria’s population could increase by about 130 million people by 2050.

He described Africa’s accelerating population growth as both “an unprecedented opportunity and a looming risk,” cautioning that failure to harness the continent’s youthful potential could lead to unrest, insecurity, and mass migration.

“Without focused investments in opportunity rather than need, youthful optimism could turn into frustration,” Banga said, warning that such frustration could have far-reaching consequences for every region and economy.

According to him, the coming decades will mark one of the greatest demographic shifts in human history, with over 85 per cent of the global population projected to live in developing countries by 2050.

Banga highlighted the growing pressure on the global job market, revealing that in the next 10 to 15 years, about 1.2 billion young people will join the workforce, competing for only 400 million available jobs — leaving an estimated 800 million unemployed or underemployed.

He stressed the need for proactive investment in education, innovation, and entrepreneurship to prevent the demographic shift from triggering global instability.

“In the time it takes to deliver these remarks, tens of thousands of young people will enter the workforce — full of ambition, impatient for opportunity,” he said.

The World Bank president described the pace of Africa’s population growth as “staggering,” noting that the continent will be home to one in every four people on Earth by 2050.

“Between now and then, Zambia will add about 700,000 people annually, Mozambique’s population will double, and Nigeria will expand by roughly 130 million — solidifying its place among the world’s most populous nations,” Banga stated.

Despite the challenges, he emphasized that with the right policies and investments, Africa’s young population could become a driving force for sustainable growth and innovation.

“These young people, with their energy and ideas, will define the next century,” he said. “With the right investments, we can unlock a powerful engine of global growth.”