The Chairman, the National Population Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, has warned that unintended pregnancy is contributing to the rise in extreme poverty in Nigerian households, as it disrupts women’s jobs and earnings.

He gave this warning at the launch of the 2022 State of the World Population Report in Abuja.

He added that unintended pregnancies particularly, among teenagers and adolescent girls, were a major health concern, as they were associated with high morbidity and mortality of both mother and child.

According to him, unintended pregnancy “promotes and sustains extreme poverty at household level as it interrupts women’s jobs and earnings.”

Speaking on the efforts of the government to prevent unintended pregnancies, the NPC chairman said the government had shown commitment to ensuring the fundamental rights of women and girls were exercised.

While presenting the report, the Deputy Representative of the United Nations Population Fund in Nigeria, Erika Goldson, reiterated that reducing unintended pregnancies was crucial to achieving Sustainable Development Goals.

The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, who also spoke at the launch, said Nigeria’s rapid population growth hindered economic growth.