UNICEF Advocates for Digital Birth Registration to Ensure Children’s Legal Identity in Nigeria
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is urging the Nigerian government to implement electronic birth registration to provide every child with a legal identity. This move aims to enhance national planning and development, ensuring that millions of children are granted their rightful place in society.
According to Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of the UNICEF Field Office for South West Nigeria, e-birth registration is crucial for generating accurate statistics, which are essential for effective planning and policy implementation. She emphasized that every child deserves an identity, and registration is the first step in ensuring their rights are protected.
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UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Denis Onoise, revealed that the National Population Commission (NPC) aims to register over nine million births for children under five years and four million registrations for children under one year old by 2024. He stressed the need for partnership with primary health centers to achieve proper e-registration.
The integration of birth registration with the National Identification Number (NIN) will provide a comprehensive birth database, ensuring accurate data for planning and development. NPC Lagos Office Director, Bamidele Sadiku, highlighted the benefits of e-birth registration, including preventing double birth and death registrations. He announced that NPC is working with the National Identity Management Commission to link both registrations with the NIN, providing a unique identity for every child born in the country.
This initiative aims to ensure that every child in Nigeria has a legal identity, enabling the government to plan and implement policies that cater to their needs.
