Magufuli urges women to have more children

Tanzania's President John Magufuli has urged women to ‘set your ovaries free’ and bear more children as a way to help boost the economy. But critics said this would worsen inequality and poverty. ‘When you have a big population you build the economy. That's why China's economy is so huge,’ Magufuli said, adding that India and Nigeria were other examples of countries that gained from surging populations. A report on the News24 site notes that since taking office in 2015, Magufuli has launched an industrialisation campaign that has helped buoy economic growth, which has averaged six to seven percent annually. The nation of 55m already has one of the world's highest birth rates - around five children per woman.