"The world's population will increase from today's 7.3 billion people to 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion at century's end ...And there will not be an end to world population growth this century...unless...," ," says a report by the United Nations (UN) Population Division. "

This is troubling, but wait till you read the rest..

"The primary driver of global population growth is a projected increase in the population of Africa. The continent's current population of 1.2 billion people is expected to rise to between 3.4 billion and 5.6 billion people by the end of this century."

For some, the question is, so what next? Forced population thinning in Africa?

This is not an attempt to spawn a conspiracy theory about the intent of the UN Population Division and its partners. But this concern about population growth leads to some uncomfortable thoughts: Eugenics, a la Margaret Sanger or abortion clinics strewn across Africa?

The UN concern is universal. But it is clear from the report that her target is Africa. She is not worried about population density on individual continents.

The fact now is, comparatively, Africa is a sparsely populated continent; having 65 people per sq mile versus Asia's 203 people and Europe's 134 per sq mile.

The report, among other statements, says, population growth in Africa , which has been declining since the 70s, has not caught up with similar declines in Asia, South America and the Caribbean during the same period.

It projects that Africa would soon leapfrog over all and into lead position as the most populous continent by the end of the century.

There is, the report says, a danger of impending population explosion for the world. The main driver of this is the rise in fertility rate on the continent of Africa.

The goal and the mission for the world then become clear. Brakes must be applied on population growth in Africa - for the ultimate good of the whole world; right now.

So far, a clear good intention has been stated, as any attempt to save the world must be described. But saving the world at what price and at whose expense?

Again, I am not looking to start a conspiracy theory. I am only implying that self preservation is what got all of us here in this present time and space. But, now that we are worried about population growth in the world, shouldn't we worry about the insult implied in the description - burgeoning fertility rate on the continent of Africa?.

By every account Africa is the second largest continent after Asia, but one of the least populated. Exigencies in history have all contributed in tamping down population growth in Africa; slavery, colonial exploitation, epidemics, wars, civil unrest, feckless leaderships, etc.

And now, here comes this new UN report that says rapid population growth in Africa would be the largest by the end of this century - a far disproportionate threat to the world by a land the size of Africa.

For now, Asia has a land mass of 17,139,445 square miles and Africa has 11,677,239 square miles, about 67% of the land size of the former. Population In Asia, however, is 4,055,000,000 (billion) people compared to Africa's 1,108,500,000 (billion), about 27% of the number in Asia.

The observation at this point in time should be Africa's population now is not a threat because it has more room for growth than Asia or Europe.

But the above is not the observation that is indicated in the report that says   Africa's current population of 1.2 billion people"is expected to rise to between 3.4 billion and 5.6 billion people by the end of this century," projecting a fourfold increase from the current population size.

Miraculously, the numbers for Asia would remain practically the same at the end of the century.

"Asia, with a current population of 4.4 billion, is..... expected to peak around the middle of the century at 5.3 billion, and then to decline to around 4.9 billion people by the end of the century," the report says.

Some type of equilibrium between the birth and death rates would have occurred in Asia by the end of the century for Asia to make this landmark achievement. And of course, we are to assume that the innate vast, superior, human intelligence of the Asian will make this prediction in population control possible.

Africa, the polar opposite of Asia on the other hand, will be denied this eventuality because her fertility rate will be on steroid by then! 

It is, therefore, this fertility rage from Africa that is the danger to world security and peace at the end of the century. Controlling this threat will be the next big thing after the Global Warming crusade. Thus, within this assumption, a malicious myth is raised about Africa.

What if the prediction; like many human conjectures, is wrong?

Well, the track to do something about Africa and world population growth has been laid.  The fear that Africa cannot support 3 to 5 billion people is, at best, tendentious.  China, (5963979 sq ml land size) about half the size of Africa, supports a 1.4 billion population today.

The call for Africa's end of the century population roster now is an excuse to do some current population control to benefit all mankind before Africa fills up the available space with her supposed indigenous fertility rage. 

So by convincing Africa to hold her indigenous population low, a realistic chance materializes for the world to move excess density from elsewhere into this sparsely populated continent now.  And the attempt can be justified as very compassionate, scientific and most moral call to make for all humanity - saving the world from a certain population explosion from Africa.

Again, without offering a new conspiracy theory, must Africa, with her present space advantage, arrest her population growth for the sake of saving the world?

Persuasive arguments for population control in Africa are already in the report.

"Rapid population growth in poor countries has "important policy implications for national governments....(it) can exacerbate a range of existing problems--environmental (resource scarcity and pollution), health (maternal and child mortality), economic (unemployment, low wages and poverty), governmental (lagging investments in health, education and infrastructure), and social (political unrest and crime)".:

And the move to occupy Africa will be renewed, surreptitiously so. .

Far fetched? Be reminded that the Chinese are already at work - artisans are moved into places in Africa for work, but with no intention to return them to main land China. Slowly, Africa is taking in the excess baggage. Couple this with corrupt officialdom, that will buy any idea provided it fattens their pockets, and you have a perfect situation to grow another population on the continent - while holding indigenous birth rate down through some other means.

For, nowhere does this report provide the optimum population base per continent or mention that an appropriate large population base has its own social and economic advantages, especially on a vast track of a continent that by comparison is currently sparsely populated.

China, for instance, provides the model for population density and wealth growth, even though she has less than half the land space of Africa.

Instead of worrying about high fertility rate in Africa now, Africa should move on the existential route to preserve herself first.

E. Ablorh-Odjidja, Publisher www.ghanadot.com, Washington, DC, August 14, 2015.
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