Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday said that Nigeria would surpass the United States, US, as the third most populous nation on earth in 2050.
Shettima further predicted that by the end of the century, Nigeria’s population would have crossed 440 million, thereby, making it the most populous country on earth.
The vice president, who represented President Bola Tinubu, spoke while delivering his keynote address at the Agric, Development, and Investment Summit in Abuja.
According to Shettima: “There are nations rationing fuel, are we rationing fuel supplies to our vehicles? The answer is no and no matter how long the night is, it must give way to the light of the dawn. Yes the weather is stormy but it won’t rain forever. I will urge Nigerians and our developmental partners to rally round us and salvage this ship.
“One out of every four black men is a Nigerian and by 2050 we will surpass the United States, we will be the third most populous nation on earth, our population will cross 440 million people, and by the end of the century Nigeria will be the most populous nation on earth.
“This is a great nation and I would rather be a small fish in a big pond than be a big fish in a small pond. Wherever Nigerians go, because the trajectory of global growth is facing Africa and Nigeria will make or mar that tradition, wherever Nigeria goes that’s where Africa goes.
“People celebrate Boswana, I respect them; people celebrate Rwanda, I adore Paul Kigame; people talk about the Seychelles, yes economy has turned the corner but what’s the population of Boswana? Not more than Somolu Local Government Area of Lagos; what the population of Seyechelles, not more than two wards in Kano metropolis; the population of Rwanda is half the population of Lagos State. So numbers count, take it or leave it; Nigeria is a great nation.”
