The National Orientation Agency (NOA), in partnership with National Population Commission (NPC) and United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) have launched a nationwide digital birth registration for social mobilisation drive, aimed at ensuring that every child in Nigeria has access to education, healthcare, and other essential services.
The launch and the news conference to sensitise the masses on birth registration innovation, which was jointly organized by NOA, NPC and UNICEF was held at the NOA Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State on Monday.
This drive is focused on registering all children aged 0-5 years and providing them with a National Identification Number (NIN) free of charge. Birth registration is a fundamental right of every child, and this initiative seeks to highlight its importance to the child, the family, the community, and the nation at large.
Birth registration is the first legal acknowledgement of a child’s existence and is essential for safeguarding their rights and privileges for now and in the future. It is the key to unlocking access to basic services such as education and healthcare, which are crucial for a child’s development and future.
Moreover, accurate birth registration is vital for national planning and development, as it provides the government with essential data to plan for education, healthcare, and other public services.
Speaking on the exercise, State Director, NOA, Oyo State, Dr Olukemi Afolayan said, the ongoing phase of the digital birth registration would end in November 2024, to register all children from ages zero to five, adding that the registered children would be given National Identification Number, NIN, and birth certificate without charges.
Dr Afolayan called on every stakeholder to work together to give every child in Nigeria the best start in life, saying registering their birth would not only secure their future but also contribute to national development.
She noted that by registering a child’s birth, families ensure that their children are recognized by the state, which is the first step in protecting them from abuse, exploitation, and statelessness.
Advertisement
Parents and guardians are encouraged to visit the nearest registration centre of the NPC to register their children.
The process is simple and free, requiring only supporting documents such as an immunization card or an existing birth certificate of a parent or guardian.
“We are calling on all parents, guardians, and community leaders to take part in this crucial initiative. Let’s work together to give every child in Nigeria the best start in life. By registering their birth, we are not only securing their future, but also contributing to the development of our nation”, Dr Afolayan said.
Also speaking, the Director of NPC, Oyo State, Mr Akin Oyetunde who was represented by a coordinator in the Commission, Mr Peter Ojelakin maintained that accurate birth registration was vital for national planning and development, as it would enable the government to have essential data to plan for its Citizens.
Mr Oyetunde disclosed that the NPC ad-hoc staff would adopt house–to–a house system to ensure a successful registration exercise across the 33 local government areas of Oyo state.
He stressee that parents could also visit the nearest NPC office in their area or visit the office of NOA in all the local government areas of the state for seamless exercise.
A child without a birth certificate is faceless, unaccounted for and unknown while failure to register the birth of a child not only denies the child the right to essential protective services but also exposes him or her to the risk of rights violation at every stage of life.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) is responsible for enlightening the public on government policies, programmes and activities and committed to raising awareness on critical national issues and mobilising the public to take action.
UNICEF is a global leader in advocating for the rights and well-being of every child, working in over 190 countries and territories to reach the most vulnerable and excluded children.
