Former Chief Justice Georgina Theodora Wood has stated that implications of the country’s current population growth trajectory will be dire unless deliberate investment is made to create an enabling environment for every individual to thrive.

She said the country was currently experiencing an unprecedented population explosion year after year, stretching the limits of its socio-economic and infrastructural capacities.

Therefore, she said, it had become imperative to fully harness the potential of the burgeoning population by empowering every individual to contribute meaningfully to the country’s growth and development.

“This requires deliberate investments across multiple fronts, including social, educational, economic and infrastructural, to create the enabling environment where every individual could thrive and fulfil their God-given potential,” Mrs Wood said.

She was speaking in Accra last Friday at the launch of a book titled: “From Human Resource to Human Capital: The Essence of Population Management”.

Written by the?Executive Director of the National Population Council (NPC), Dr Leticia Adelaide Appiah, the 139-page book provides an insightful analysis of how the country can harness the potential of its population to ensure sustainable growth.

Ghana’s population

Ghana’s population of 31 million, per the 2021 Population and Housing Census, shows a growth rate of 2.1 per cent per year and is set to double in the next 30 years.

Mrs Wood expressed fear that if the country’s current population growth rate was unchecked, it could soon reach a tipping point where its resources could no longer sustain its population needs.

She commended the author for her insightful reflections on the pressing issues confronting the nation. “This book is not just a call to action; it is a roadmap for our future. May we collaboratively and productively work together across sectors and borders to ensure that every Ghanaian has the opportunity to thrive,” Mrs Wood stated.

Purpose of book

Speaking on the motivation behind her coming up with the book, Dr Appiah said she had lived the experience of having about 50 siblings.

She said she was by no means disregarding the gift of life given her by her parents but rather, she was only advocating that people should choose to holistically invest in every child from cradle to college.

She said the book attempted to explore the link between population and development to enable readers to make the right choices. Dr Appiah said promoting sex and reproductive health information was not about restricting freedom but rather, it was about promoting health, dignity, peace, happiness and prosperous meaningful lives.

“We need to destigmatise population literacy and sexual health by encouraging open discussions in families and communities. This is what I set out to do in the book; an attempt to help everyone deeply understand population dynamics,” she said.