NPC Urges Parents to Prioritize Birth Registration

Efforts to Boost Birth Registration Rates and Data Collection

In a bid to bolster national planning and development, the National Population Commission (NPC) has issued a resounding call to parents across the country to prioritize birth registration for their children.

The commission has highlighted the advantages of embracing the streamlined digital registration process, emphasizing the necessity of enrolling children in this initiative.

Mr. Henry Uzungwu, the Controller of Makurdi Local Government Area (LGA) for the NPC, expressed concern over the persistently low levels of birth registration in Nigeria. During a recent visit to the FMC Registration Centre in Makurdi, Uzungwu underlined the pivotal role that birth registration plays in officializing a child’s existence and identity.

“Birth registration serves as an official and permanent record of a child’s identity, affording them legal recognition. It is a fundamental right that every child deserves. Parents are obligated to take their children to the registration points for this crucial process,” stated Uzungwu, emphasizing the importance of birth registration within the first seven days of a child’s life.

The Controller elucidated the potential benefits of birth registration, explaining that it could lead to the implementation of a code-based system that accompanies a child throughout their life. Such a code could facilitate processes like school enrollment, voter registration, and even banking procedures.

The NPC stressed that the practice of birth registration has significant implications beyond individual rights. It plays a pivotal role in generating essential data required for national planning and development. By capturing accurate birth records, the country can make informed decisions to address various socio-economic challenges.

Despite acknowledging the challenges involved in scaling up birth registration rates, Uzungwu commended the efforts of external partners such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), which have led to a surge in registration numbers during intervention periods.

Uzungwu urged the NPC to uphold its responsibilities as the nation’s population data repository, highlighting that government agencies such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security bodies rely heavily on the NPC’s data.

The NPC’s appeal to parents to actively engage in birth registration underscores the significance of this initiative for individual children’s recognition and the nation’s comprehensive data collection endeavors.