The National Orientation Agency (NOA), in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC), has launched a nationwide digital birth registration and social mobilisation campaign for children aged zero to five years.
Speaking at a press conference in Ilorin on Monday, the Kwara State Director of NOA, Mr. Segun Adeyemi, highlighted the importance of the initiative, which aims to ensure that every child has access to critical services such as education, healthcare, and other essential social benefits.
"The birth registration process will provide children with a National Identification Number (NIN) free of charge," Adeyemi said, adding that the registration exercise will run from August to December.
"Birth registration is a fundamental right of every child and represents the first legal acknowledgment of their existence. It is essential for protecting their rights and securing access to services that are crucial for their development and future,” he added.
Adeyemi explained that registering a child's birth ensures they are recognized by the state, which is a vital step in shielding them from exploitation, abuse, and statelessness. Furthermore, accurate birth records help the government with national planning by providing critical data for education, healthcare, and other public services.
He urged parents, guardians, and community leaders to participate actively in the initiative, emphasizing the significance of securing their children’s future and contributing to national development.
Echoing Adeyemi’s comments, the Director of NPC in Kwara, Alhaji Olaitan Zubair, explained that the digital birth registration system is an upgrade from the previous analogue method. He said the move to digitalize the process is essential in keeping pace with global trends.
"Information collected will now be digitized, making birth verification seamless anywhere in the country," Zubair stated. He added that the exercise is being conducted at six designated centers across Kwara, with additional support from ad-hoc field officers.
Zubair revealed that while the commission had set a target to register 152,000 children in Kwara, only 40,000 had been registered since the exercise commenced in August. He attributed the shortfall to low public awareness and a high level of apathy, calling for stronger advocacy efforts.
The initiative, which is supported by the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), also aims to clear backlogs of unregistered births during the initial five-month period. However, Adeyemi assured that the registration drive would continue beyond this mop-up phase to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Both NOA and NPC reiterated the crucial role birth registration plays in national development and urged citizens to take advantage of the free exercise to safeguard their children's rights.
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