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China may have more pets than children under 4 by year end – Report
By Francesca Hangeior.
China’s urban pet population is set to surpass the number of children under four by year end, according to reports by CNN and Goldman Sachs.
The reports, released on Thursday, noted that China’s population is ageing rapidly and its workforce is shrinking, following decades of a one-child policy.
A study by the YuWa Population Research Institute found that China is one of the most expensive countries to raise a child, surpassing Australia and France in relative terms.
China’s government, which ended the one-child policy in 2016 and later relaxed birth restrictions in 2021 to allow three children, is now struggling to boost birth rates, having previously been successful in limiting them.
Couples interviewed for the study like Hansen, 36, and Momo, 35, are opting out of having children and instead choosing to become pet owners, a trend increasingly common among Chinese couples.
Owner Tao hangs out with dogs at Space, a dog hotel in Beijing. Photo: Justin Robertson/CNN
A Goldman Sachs report predicts that by year’s end, the number of pets in China’s urban areas will exceed the number of children under the age of four, driven by growing demand for pet food.
Goldman Sachs projects that by 2030, urban China’s pet population will nearly double the number of children under four nationwide.
This estimate only accounts for urban areas, and the total number of pets would be even higher if rural areas were included.
According to Goldman Sachs, the rising pet ownership in China reflects a shift in values among younger generations, who no longer prioritise marriage and childbearing as a means of continuing family lineage.
“Different generations value things differently, you know,” said Hansen.
Goldman Sachs reports that China’s pet food sector is booming, with sales growing 16% annually from 2017 to 2023, reaching $7 billion.
The industry is projected to expand to $12 billion by 2030, with a potential upside of $15 billion in just six years, making it one of the fastest-growing consumer sectors in the country.
The report highlights that the pet industry’s surge in China marks a stark contrast to just 20 years ago, when keeping pets was seen as a luxury of the wealthy and mixed-breed dogs were primarily valued as guard animals.
China’s birth rate is also expected to decline by 4.2% annually from 2022 to 2030, driven by a shrinking population of women aged 20-35 and a growing trend among young people to delay or forgo having children.
“We expect to see stronger momentum in pet ownership amid a relatively weaker birth rate outlook and higher incremental household pet penetration from the younger generation,” the report stated.
Rising costs and economic uncertainty are deterring many Chinese couples from having children.
“The world’s second-biggest economy is facing headwinds ranging from high youth unemployment to a protracted property crisis,” CNN noted.
China’s government has shifted its approach, replacing restrictive population control measures like forced abortions and sterilisations with enticing incentives, such as cash rewards and extended parental leave, to encourage people to have children.
China’s population has dropped for two consecutive years, hitting 1.409 billion, with a record-low birth rate of 6.39 per 1,000 people, the lowest rate since the founding of Communist China in 1949.
News
Just in: NYSC Releases Batch ‘C’ Corps Members Call Up Letters
The National Youth Service Corps has announced the release of the 2024 Batch ‘C’ Stream I call-up letters for prospective corps members.
The corps made the announcement in a series of post on its official X (former Twitter) handle on Monday.
It said orientation camp for the stream is expected to start on November 27, 2024 and closes on December 17, 2024.
According to the post, “some prospective corp members posted to Lagos will have orientation in Ogun and Osun.
“While some of those posted to Zamfara will have in Kebbi and Sokoto etc”
The corps, however, advised prospective corps members to print and sign an addendum, which will be submitted during registration at the orientation camp.
Tips to guide Deployed Prospective Corps Members
Do not travel to the Orientation Camps at night. Break your journey when necessary.
Report on your scheduled reporting date.
Apply for spelling error and name rearrangement on your dashboard.
After documentation in the Camp, you cannot change your Date of Birth, Date of Graduation, Course of Study and Passport Photograph.
Do not report to the Camp if there is any discrepancies in your course of study or with the Date of Graduation on your Statement of Result and your Call-up Letter. Contact your Institution to sort it out.
ATTENTION TO ALL 2024 BATCH ”C” STREAM I MARRIED FEMALE PROSPECTIVE CORPS MEMBERS
All married female Prospective Corps members (PCMs) who are deployed to States where their husbands are not domiciled should report to the nearest NYSC Orientation Camp for their State of Deployment to be changed.
They are to report during the period of Registration at the Orientation Camps with the copies of their marital and other relevant documents as evidence. Once the change is made it will reflect on theirM dashboard for reprinting.
News
Oba of Benin to withdraw suit as Okpebholo restores rights
The Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, and the Benin Traditional Council may withdraw the suits they filed against the state government as Governor Monday Okpebholo, on Sunday, restored the full statutory rights of the Oba and reversed the policies of the previous administration that impacted the Benin Traditional Council.
A statement on Sunday by Okepebholo’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, said the governor abolished the new traditional councils in Edo South created by the immediate-past governor, Godwin Obaseki.
Okpebholo also backed the Federal Government’s recognition of the Oba’s palace as the custodian of repatriated Benin artefacts looted during the 1897 British colonial expedition.
Providing an insight into the governor’s gesture, the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Samson Osagie, said it signaled the resolution of the crisis between the Oba of Benin and the Edo State government leading to lawsuits duringt the Obaseki’s administration.
Osagies said, “The cases in court are cases which the Oba of Benin himself and the Benin Traditional Council instituted against the state government, and they are all civil matters. And you know that in civil suit or in any suit, parties are encouraged to settle amicably.
“So, if the parties are already settling and one side is already meeting the condition of settlement, the next step you are going to hear is that the party who went to court, which is the Oba of Benin, and the Benin Traditional Council, will instruct their counsel to withdraw the cases from court and that will be the end of the matter.
“The two parties are now settling for harmony and peace to reign, so the government is doing its own side of it.
“This statement is a prelude to discontinuing all legal proceedings with respect to the twin issues of the concession of the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre by government to the Benin Traditional Council for 30 years and the creation of additional councils.”
The statement by Okepebholo’s Chief Press Secretary outlined the administration’s commitment to restoring the dignity and authority of the Benin monarch.
“This administration also hereby abolishes the new traditional councils in Edo South, created by the last administration,” the statement noted.
Additionally, Governor Okpebhol revoked the decision of the Obaseki’s administration to convert the Oba Akenzua II Cultural Centre into a motor park.
The government announced plans to restore the cultural centre to its original purpose.
“This administration is restoring the Oba Akenzua Centre to a suitable condition for its original purpose,” the statement added.
The governor also reinstated the financial entitlements of the Benin Traditional Council, ordering that the status quo before the creation of the abolished councils be maintained.
According to the statement, Okpebholo affirmed support for the Federal Government’s official gazette, which recognizes the Oba of Benin as the rightful owner and custodian of the repatriated Benin artefacts.
He also distanced his administration from the Museum of West Africa Art, instead backing the Benin Royal Museum project to house the artefacts.
“The Federal Government has also issued a gazette for the recognition of ownership and custody of the repatriated Benin artefacts to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II,” the statement explained. “Governor Okpebholo respects the rights and privileges of the traditional ruler of Benin kingdom… and pledges the support of his administration to ensure the monarch plays his role as the custodian of the rich cultural heritage of the Benin people.”
Okpebholo reiterated his administration’s respect for traditional institutions and vowed to avoid interference in the internal affairs of the Benin Traditional Council. “The Oba of Benin, as the father of all Benin people, is the sole custodian of the customs and traditions of the Benin people, and my administration respects customs and traditions in the land,” he stated, emphasising the government’s efforts to uphold the cultural and historical integrity of the Benin Kingdom.
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Oyedepo’s jet can’t leave private airstrip without clearance – Keyamo
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on Sunday said there was no way the private plane of privileged Nigerians, including the Founder and Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Bible Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, can leave the country directly from their airstrips without first securing clearance from relevant authorities.
Keyamo made the clarification when he was featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
His statement comes barely two months after members of the House of Representatives called for a revocation of airstrip licences issued to certain individuals and private organisations, citing security reasons.
The House also called for an immediate halt to new airstrip licences for individuals and organisations.
But Keyamo insisted that there was no way a plane or drone, even if it belongs to the military, can leave or come into the country without first getting a nod from the agency.
When asked if the airstrip of Oyedepo also passed through the same due process, Keyamo nodded.
He said, “Oh yes, absolutely. That’s no problem. They were only concerned about the fact that they thought that somebody can take off from a private airstrip and fly out of Nigeria or fly into Nigeria. It is not possible.
“You must land in an international airport first. Then the Customs, immigration and NDLEA will process you before you take off from there to your private airstrip. If you are also flying out, you must land at an international airport. You will go through Customs, immigration and all the normal process before flying out.
“So nobody uses an airstrip for any such purpose without seeking clearance. At every point in time, the authorities must approve.”
When quizzed on how many airstrips the country is operating at the moment, Keyamo said they are in the range of 40.
“We have a number of them, more than 40. For the federal airport, we have 23. The state airport has about eight or nine now.
“And then the airstrips are about 40 or thereabouts. I have been there myself,” he stated.
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