The current world population is 7,935, 390,419 and is still counting with a significant change in birth rate and is likely to continue growing until we take action. The rapid population growth after the second world war is causing an impediment to achieving the sustainable development goal, in particular, eradicating hunger and poverty. In Africa, there are thousands of children who are homeless and lack access to quality education and health services because of inadequate resources to meet up to the population demand. The higher the population growth, the more resources that are needed to combat the high level of poverty and hunger in such regions. The fact that people are going into marriage everyday tells of a high birth rate in the future which may lead to increase in poverty, hunger, and low access to resources. Increase in population not only hinders the attainment of the sustainable development goal but also contributes to the change in climate with increased deforestation for the purpose of settlement. A careful look at the developing countries, one will agree that the world is overpopulated, the orphanages are filled with children, starvation has claimed the lives of many, and there are plenty of beggars roaming in the streets, even the state of unemployment in the country is a concern.
Governments have tried to solve the issue, but there's no significant progress, rather it seems to grow worse each year with more hunger, poverty, gender inequality, and low access to health services. The number one factor to rapid population growth is the high birth rate. If the rate of birth can be controlled, then one of the major problems is solved. In Africa, there's no law that controls the number of children one should born, whether or not he is financially capable to train them, to some the idea of controlling birth may look ridiculous especially in Africa where religion is held in high regard and this brings us back to the one factor that leads to a high birth rate; marriage.
The legal age to get married in Nigeria is 18 compared to our forefathers who got wives at 40 and above age. This early marriage in some ways affects the population and the rate of poverty and suffering in a country. If the legal age for one to get married can be adjusted to 30, it will help reduce the level of hunger one is currently experiencing. At 30, an individual should have raised capital to help sustain a family, or there will be this delay between the birth of one and the birth of another. People in the past did not marry at an early age compared to this generation and they were able to make effective use of the available resources. Aside from marriage, the world population can be controlled using birth control pills or methods. Families should be deliberate about the number of children they hope to give birth to, thus, use one of the birth control methods to help them stay to the plan.