CPD 59
Population Matters side event at CPD59, the 59th Commission on Population and Development.
Breaking the
Population Taboo
Evidence, Technology and the Future of the Sustainable Development Goals, a high level panel at the United Nations Commission on Population and Development.
Let’s break the taboo on discussing population
Population Matters, with the Nigerian Population Commission and PHE Ethiopia Consortium, are convening an expert panel to discuss the role of population, research and technology in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, drawing on the theme of CPD 59.
Our panel will share human stories and evidence, emphasising the need for governments to invest in population research, technology and innovation to embed population trends in national, regional and global strategies to advance the SDGs.
Our discussion will focus on Nigeria and Ethiopia, two countries that together account for nearly 25% of Africa’s population. The challenges facing these nations have ripple effects across the entire continent and beyond.
Population estimates source: UNFPA World Population Dashboard 2025 and the UNFPA 2025 data workbook.
Our Panellists
A high-level gathering of leaders in population, health and development from Nigeria, Ethiopia and beyond.
Jameen Kaur
Director of Advocacy & Influence, Population Matters
click to read bio
Leading Population Matters’ advocacy work at the highest levels of global policy, Jameen brings deep expertise in framing population trends within a rights-based, evidence-driven agenda.
Dr. Aminu Yusuf held several key positions in both public service and political administration. He served as Executive Chairman, Wushishi Local Government Area, Member elect, Niger State House of Assembly, and Board Member, National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) between 2005 and 2007.
Dr Yusuf was appointed Special Adviser (Political Affairs) to the Governor of Niger State from 2019 to 2023. In 2022, he also served as Assistant Director, Grassroots Mobilization (North Central) for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, where he played an active role in strengthening the campaign’s community engagement structures across the region. He also served as Co Chairman, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello Skill Acquisition and Development Committee, where he spearheaded numerous empowerment programmes to enhance the skills and livelihoods of women and youth in the Niger North Senatorial District.
Dr Yusuf provides visionary leadership to the National Population Commission. His appointment is expected to strengthen the Commission’s capacity to deliver on its core mandate of producing reliable population data for effective national planning, development, and policy formulation.
Endashaw Mogessie Tiruneh is an experienced development leader with over 25 years of professional experience, including more than a decade in senior management roles. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Population, Health and Environment Ethiopia Consortium (PHEEC), where he leads strategic initiatives and multi sectoral programs integrating environment, health, livelihoods, and climate resilience.
Endashaw holds an MSc in Environmental Science and a Postgraduate Certificate in Executive Leadership. He has extensive experience managing large scale development programs, building partnerships, and engaging in national and international policy platforms, including global climate forums. He has also collaborated with academic and research institutions on environmental studies and capacity building initiatives.
His work focuses on advancing integrated, evidence based approaches to sustainable development and strengthening civil society engagement.
Intended Outcomes
The side event is designed to move population trends out of the margins and into mainstream policy, research, and climate-response planning.
Bring population into mainstream policy.
Amplify the urgent need to address population trends within national, regional and global policy.
Scale integrated PHE responses.
Promote the value of integrated Population-Health-Environment (PHE) solutions and their role in climate adaptation.
Center grassroots and women’s leadership.
Encourage decision-makers to actively seek the leadership of women’s rights organisations and grassroots groups to agree evidence-based solutions on population trends.
Africa’s Most Populous Nation
Nigeria’s population has grown dramatically, from around 45 million in 1960 to an estimated 238 million in 2025. Yet no census has been conducted for 20 years since 2006, leaving critical gaps in the population data that underpins national planning.
This makes Nigeria the most populous nation in Africa, the sixth most populous country in the world, and one of the largest economies in Africa. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has identified population trends as one of eight operational challenges in Nigeria. This compounds risks across the Sahel and West Africa including environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, land related conflict and political unrest.
Nigeria’s current population trends have hindered per capita GDP growth, resulting in nearly 31% of the population living below the extreme poverty line. Limited job creation and high youth unemployment are contributing to deforestation at one of the highest rates in the world, estimated at 3.7% per year, with forest now occupying only 8% of the country’s total land area. This is severely undermining climate resilience.
Population estimate source: UNFPA World Population Dashboard 2025 and the UNFPA 2025 data workbook.
Africa’s Second Most Populous Nation
Ethiopia has experienced significant population change, from around 22 million in 1960 to an estimated 135 million in 2025. No census has been conducted in 19 years since 2007. Ethiopia is among 39 countries identified by the World Bank as fragile and conflict affected, where extreme poverty is deepening.
Approximately 80% of Ethiopia’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Yet the agricultural sector faces increasing risk from land degradation and climate effects, including worsening droughts, flood cycles, soil erosion and soil fertility loss driven by overgrazing and accelerated deforestation.
Current population trends compound pressure on already strained health, education and housing systems, as well as driving environmental destruction. Population trends are an intersectional issue that must be addressed as part of any credible SDG strategy.
Population estimate source: UNFPA World Population Dashboard 2025 and the UNFPA 2025 data workbook.
The Urgent Need for Census Data
Population dynamics are an intersectional issue, compounding pressure on already strained health, education and housing ecosystems, as well as driving environmental destruction.
Currently, both Nigeria and Ethiopia primarily rely on Demographic Health Surveys (DHS), which, while useful, have limitations. Recent cuts to global aid have led to many DHS programmes being dismantled or left reliant on short-term, private philanthropic funders, creating further challenges in obtaining accurate data.
There is an urgent need for robust, accurate census data to assess how population trends are informing and affecting government ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal targets by 2030. We must break the taboo on addressing the impacts of population trends, end political stagnation, and urgently fund and implement solutions with the resources required.
- 1 India 1.46B
- 2 China 1.42B
- 3 United States 347M
- 4 Indonesia 286M
- 5 Pakistan 255M
- 6 Nigeria 238M
- 7 Brazil 213M
- 8 Bangladesh 176M
- 9 Russia 144M
- 10 Ethiopia 135M
Source: UNFPA World Population Dashboard 2025 and the UNFPA 2025 data workbook, using World Population Prospects 2024 Revision from the United Nations Population Division.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CPD59? +
CPD59 is the 59th session of the United Nations Commission on Population and Development, taking place 13–17 April 2026 at UN Headquarters in New York. The special theme is Population, technology and research in the context of sustainable development. The Commission meets annually to review implementation of the Programme of Action agreed at the landmark 1994 ICPD conference in Cairo.
What is the theme of CPD59? +
The special theme is “Population, technology and research in the context of sustainable development.” This brings together population data gaps, AI-assisted population research, and reproductive health technology — and their role in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals. Population Matters will argue that addressing population trends honestly, through voluntary family planning and women’s empowerment, must be central to any credible SDG strategy.
What are agreed conclusions at the CPD? +
At the end of each CPD session, member states negotiate a consensus document — agreed conclusions — that shapes global population and development policy for the year ahead. CPD58 (2025) ended without agreed conclusions, reflecting deepening political divisions. CPD59 is therefore especially significant: securing strong agreed conclusions on reproductive rights and population data investment is a key advocacy goal for civil society.
What do you mean by population demographics? +
Population demographics refers to the statistical characteristics of a population, including factors like age, gender, ethnicity, income, education, and migration patterns.
Who can attend CPD59? +
Formal CPD sessions are attended by UN member states and intergovernmental bodies. NGOs with ECOSOC consultative status — such as Population Matters — can attend plenary sessions, submit written statements, and organise side events in parallel. Our side event on 15 April is open to attendees in New York. Contact Population Matters to register interest.
What is the connection between CPD and the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)? +
ICPD was a landmark conference held in Cairo in 1994, where 179 governments adopted the Programme of Action. By doing so, governments agreed on the interdependence of global population, development and the environment, and the need to urgently implement suitable socio-economic policies to promote sustainable development in all countries. Governments also affirmed that reproductive rights are human rights. The CPD is the United Nations commission that meets annually in New York to review implementation of that Programme of Action.
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Normalise the conversation. Catalyse change.
Join us for this urgent panel discussion to normalise the conversation around population trends and catalyse momentum to deliver accurate census data for Nigeria and Ethiopia.
Wednesday 15 April 2026 · 13:00–14:30
Westin Grand Central Hotel, 212 East 42nd St, New York
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