NIMC, NPC, UNICEF accelerate Nigeria’s birth registration efforts

An initiative that has the support of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has been launched to speed up birth registration across the country.

The move is part of the Renewed Hope Agenda – the mantra of the administration of the First Lady’s husband, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, since taking over the helm of the country in May last year.

This partnership to boost birth registration involves the National Population Commission (NPC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

According to a statement from the NPC, the initiative was launched at the State House in Abuja on August 29 and “seeks to ensure that all births are registered, paving the way for improved governance, planning, and service delivery across Nigeria.”

“The Renewed Hope Initiative aims to ensure that all children under 5 years are registered and receive a National Identification Number (NIN) at the point of registration. Meanwhile, the Commission in partnership with UNICEF is currently carrying out a free birth registration drive for under 5 children in Nigeria.”

Speaking about the initiative just before its launch, the NPC Chairman, Hon Nasir Isa Kwarra, noted: “Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day celebration took place on August 10, 2024, but we are having this as a special commemorative event with the First Lady championing this drive.”

“We had a fruitful chat with her and I want to believe that we have a great event ahead of us that will mark the full force drive of birth registration to give Nigerian children their first foundational identity and recognition as our children that will grant access to government services, especially education and health.”

The head of Child Protection at UNCEF Nigeria, Dr Ibrahim Sessay, said the initiative with the support of the first lady, will ensure that children across the country get “accelerated birth registration in all parts of the federation.”

Adedayo Bankole, Managing Director of Barnksforte Technologies Limited, an NPC technology partner, said the initiative encourages “interoperability with other identity agencies, such as the National Identity Management Commission and its seamless access to immunization records and other government social welfare services.”

The NIMC Director General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, who attended the launch of the event, said the birth registration acceleration activity is testament to the achievement of President’ Tinubu’s vision on strengthening digital identity and birth registration in the country.

Via a statement issued by the NIMC’s head of Corporate Communications, Coker-Odusote praised the commitment of the NPC, as well as the support from UNICEF, and expressed optimism that “digital birth and NIN [National Identification Number] registration will scale up access to government education, health care and other social benefits not only to the child but to all Nigerians.”

She emphasized that birth registration is a fundamental right: “Birth registration is not only important for the individual; it is also crucial for the development of the nation.”

Early last month, in a ceremony to commemorate the Africa Day of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, the UNICEF country representative for Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, insisted on the role of birth registration is building a bright future for children, and urged authorities to consider issuing digital ID numbers at birth in the country.

Article Topics

Africa  |  birth registration  |  identity management  |  legal identity  |  National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)  |  Nigeria  |  SDG 16.9