NPC and UNICEF partner to give birth certificates to 12 million Nigerian children

The National Population Commission (NPC) has forged a strategic partnership with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) to spearhead an ambitious project aimed at registering a substantial number of children in Katsina State, Nigeria. The primary objective is to ensure that approximately 12 million Nigerian children are provided with birth certificates, granting them legal recognition across the nation.

This collaborative effort between the NPC and UNICEF carries significant implications for the government’s ability to access valuable data that can facilitate good governance and the effective implementation of policies conducive to economic development. Furthermore, the data generated through this initiative is envisioned to serve various government agencies, enhancing their operations and services.

During a training session held on a Saturday, Ogbodo Adaku, the UNICEF focal person, outlined the comprehensive nature of this registration endeavor. It is designed to cover children residing in remote areas spread across the 361 wards in Katsina. To ensure the success of this initiative, a dedicated team of 1,083 ad hoc staff members has been enlisted from different wards to undertake the registration exercise. Importantly, this extensive birth registration campaign is not exclusive to Katsina; it is being implemented in 23 states across Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Adaku stressed the significance of this endeavor, emphasizing the ultimate goal of registering around 12 million children in Nigeria who currently lack official visibility. She underlined the profound consequences of non-registration, explaining that legally, an unregistered child is rendered invisible and unrecognized. Hence, the primary aim is to leave no child unregistered, regardless of their geographical location.

This project’s broader objectives extend beyond mere registration. The NPC and UNICEF are working in tandem to generate comprehensive data on children, which can be harnessed by various government agencies. Consequently, there is a notable shift from manual registration to a more efficient digital system. This transition serves to provide each child with a recognized identity, allowing them to assert their nationality as Nigerians. In essence, the effort strives to ensure that every child is legally registered, contributing to their overall well-being.

In Katsina, the training session is primarily intended for the ad hoc registrants involved in the registration process. Historically, birth registration in Nigeria has been a manual undertaking. However, the evolving landscape of technology has led to a shift toward digitalization, a move that promises greater efficiency and accuracy in the registration process.

The overarching goal of this initiative is to facilitate the effective collection and dissemination of vital statistics derived from civil registration. Such data holds immense value for the government, serving as a foundation upon which to build improved governance and implement policies that foster economic development.

Within Katsina State, the birth registration campaign targets an estimated 800,000 children. This endeavor has involved the recruitment of three registrants for each of the state’s 361 wards, resulting in a total of 1,083 registrants. The UNICEF-led team operates at the grassroots level, actively engaging with communities to ensure that every child, whether born in a hospital or at home, receives proper registration and is furnished with a birth certificate, thus granting them a legal identity.

Furthermore, efforts are being made to forge close collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), aiming to mobilize communities and raise awareness about the initiative’s significance at the grassroots level. This multi-faceted approach underscores the commitment to achieving comprehensive child registration and ensuring the legal recognition of every child’s identity, regardless of their place of birth. The partnership between the NPC and UNICEF represents a significant step towards enhancing the rights and legal status of Nigerian children.