UNICEF suggests issuance of national ID numbers at birth in Nigeria

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has advised that one of the ways through which the Nigerian government can have an accurate and reliable population database is to begin from the basics, which includes assigning National Identification Numbers (NINs) to children at the time they have to be registered at birth.

These unique numbers should be issued to children anywhere in the country, be they in rural, urban, semi-rural, semi-urban, rural slums or any other remote parts of the country, according to a message from the UN agency’s country representative in the country.

Speaking during an event in Abuja to commemorate the 7th Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day, Cristian Munduate, emphasized the importance of this year’s theme of the event which pinpoints the need to link CRVS and national digital ID systems. The theme was “Strengthening the Linkage of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics to Legal Identity Systems through Digitalization for Enhanced Inclusion,” and UNECA had called on African nations to capitalize on it.

“Linked systems provide valuable data for evidence-based policymaking, development planning, and monitoring progress toward national and international development goals,” the UNICEF country head said.  “Governments, development partners, and researchers are called upon to use linked data to analyze trends, identify disparities, and target interventions more effectively, leading to more sustainable development outcomes for the country. We look forward to exploring broad areas on data security and management of civil registration and national ID systems”

While noting that legal identity is a fundamental human right, the rights to access basic public services is also crucial, and this can be facilitated if such linkage happens.

“By linking civil registration and vital statistics with legal identity systems, we must ensure that individuals have the official recognition and documentation they need to exercise their rights, access social services, participate in economic activities, and assert legal claims,” says Munduate, adding that it is even more important for people who have often suffered exclusion from such services.

UNICEF has been offering support to Nigeria to digitize its birth registration system.

Meanwhile, during the Africa CRVS Day, Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) gave assurances on protecting the national ID database, which has been the subject of recent data breach reports.

The NIMC CEO, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, speaking through a representative during a press conference to mark the Africa CRVS Day in Nigeria, said while they are carrying on with efforts to expand digital ID coverage, they are doing the same to “ensure that the National Identification Number (NIN) database is safe and secure.”

In a statement, Coker-Odusote said of the 109 million persons already enrolled for the NIN, children make up 20 percent.

She expressed gratitude to UNICEF and the National Population Commission (NPC) for their collaboration on ensuring an inclusive digital ID system in the country.

Article Topics

Africa  |  birth registration  |  civil registration  |  digital ID  |  legal identity  |  national ID  |  National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)  |  Nigeria  |  SDG 16.9  |  UNICEF