There is a popular saying in Nigeria that Omo lere aiye, which means children are the reward of of socie and I believe these sayings have messed up a lot of people's mentalities in the country.
The effect of overpopulation in the world today is something we are all struggling with, and there is a huge need for controlled birth by the government, even though it's completely impossible in some parts of the world, especially in third-world countries. I don't know if being ignorant about the consequences of overpopulation is enough to justify why many people choose to have lots of kids, and one thing I am quite sure about is that nobody will be exempted when overpopulation eventually tears the world apart.
The more the world population increases, the more we expand territories, and our needs increase drastically. Many of us today complain about the unavailability of jobs, the voluminous increase in the waste generated globally, the high consumption of natural resources, the pressure on nature for more resources, deforestation, and many others, not knowing that we have contributed greatly to issues on the ground.
I have wondered why people still bear numerous kids just like their forefathers did. They were ignorant, uneducated, and needed more children because of farm work. The world is completely opposite of what it used to be back then, and I expect changes, but they are nowhere to be found.
I once asked a pharmacist who had four children why he wanted more when he mentioned that his wife couldn't stop bearing child now and that he needed a male child. Unfortunately for him, his fifth child happened to be a girl, and I wondered what he did next since we lost contact.
Tackling overpopulation through birth control would be challenging for many reasons, especially in African countries, due to some cultural beliefs that people still hold dear.
Many families wanted 2-3 children but ended up with a dozen just because they wanted a particular gender, and the continuous search for it is at the detriment of the world population as a whole. Like I mentioned earlier, the government can only try but can't force people, especially in this part of the world, and the only effective way to call people to order is by educating them about the consequences of overpopulation.
It's happening already, and we don't need to dig too far for these consequences. Climate change is one of the biggest effects, and it's not helping matters. If anyone thinks they are not affected, only time will tell. A high rate of poverty, food insecurity, crime, and many others are emerging as a result of overpopulation across the world, and if things continue like this, only God knows what the next few decades will look like.
As for me, having two kids is enough, and at worst, three in cases where a twin shows up after the first child. A lot of things are unstable globally, and it would be unwise to bring numerous kids without proper preparedness. Even with proper preparedness, having excess makes no sense to me.
If we look around the world, these rich folks don't go about giving birth to children like rabbits despite having what it takes to care for them, but it's the other way around for the less priviledged. At my former residence, there was a tenant who had four kids, and they lived in a single room.
There was a night this couple started fighting in the middle of the night because of sex, and their noise woke the tenants. I was shocked because sex shouldn't be a priority because I bet the woman wasn't on any form of birth control.
People should be made to understand that bringing children into the world isn't just about providing food and shelter; the big effect of having excess children on the world as a whole can be very disastrous. We now live in a smart world, and everything should be smart, including childbearing.