NPC to register 12.72m children in 2023 -official

The National Population Commission (NPC) says it will register 12.72 million of less than five years children in 2023 to improve child birth registration in the country.

NPC Director of Vital Registration Department Matthew Sunday announced this during an orientation on Micro Plan Development for Integrated Birth Registration in Minna on Monday.

Our correspondent reports that the orientation was organised by the commission in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for deputy chief registrars of NPC across the 25 local government areas in the state.

Represented by Mr Makama Taala, the Principal Vital Registration Officer, Sunday gave the overview of the status of birth registration in the country.

He observed that only 57 per cent of less than five year children were registered at birth in 2021 as indicated hy the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of 2022.

“Forty-three per cent of birth registration is still needed to attain 100 per cent birth registration in the country,” he said.

He explained that states with low birth registration are Sokoto State, Zamfara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Taraba and Niger.

According to him, Kaduna State, Kano State, Yobe, Bauchi State, Plateau, Nasarawa State, Benue and Ogun are doing better in birth registration.

Mr Wilfred Mammah, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, said that UNICEF was supporting a functional overall birth registration system to ensure an up-to-date national digital birth registration process.

Malam Bala Musa, the UNICEF Focal Person, said that plans were ongoing on how to develop a mechanism to envisaged a simplified, accessible and automated a system that would facilitate birth registration and certification of children in health facilities and communities.

In his remarks, Alhaji Muhammad Usman, the Federal Commissioner in charge of the state, represented by Abdullahi Nda-Ali, Technical Adviser in NPC, said that all birth registration would take place at local government levels.

In a goodwill messages, Dr Ibrahim Dangana, the Executive Director, Niger Primary Healthcare Development Agency, represented by Hajara Idris and Abdulwahab Alidat, the NYSC Coordinator in Niger, promised their readiness to promote credible birth registration

The Emir of Minna, Dr Umar Farouq, represented by Alhaji Abubakar Bosso, also said that birth registration initiative was timely.

He called on the commission to enhance partnership with traditional institutions, especially in rural areas, to gain support.