The Chief Executive Officer of Jumia Nigeria, Juliet Anammah has identified access to quality education as a key to managing huge population for productive economy.

According to her, there is a need for policies that support micro industries in order to tackle unemployment; “Providing unemployed youths with internet-enabled smartphones is one of the infrastructure that could take millions out of unemployment,” she said.

Anammah made this disclosure while speaking as a panel member at the 25th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja which dissected the topic on demography: “Nigeria in 2050: boom or bust”, alongside the Founder of the Kukah Centre, Bishop Mathew Kukah; Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Emir Sanusi who said Nigeria’s huge population is yet to be converted to productive use.

“We need policies that support micro industries. We have millions of people under-employed today. How do we tackle it?” she asked. Providing unemployed youths with enabled Internet smartphones is one infrastructure that could take millions out of unemployment,” she added.

The Emir of Kano said Nigeria’s huge population is a liability and not assets. He attributed the negative vices ravaging the country on huge, uneducated population.

The focus of the panel session was on how Nigeria’s demographic realities can be transformed into social and business opportunities, and what are its implications on internal migration and threats to sustainable peace and security.