Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
A Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission (NPC) in Ogun State, Mr. Fasuwa Johnson, has said that Nigeria as a country can build a robust data base, if digital birth registration is adequately adopted by the government.
Fasuwa equally said that the e-birth registration can help in eliminating multiple registrations and curb issue of fake birth certificates that are synonymous to manual birth registration.
The NPC Federal Commissioner stated this at the sidelines of the ongoing training for ad-hoc staff recruited by the Commission in Ogun State, on e-birth registration.
Fasuwa noted that 1,500 personnel from 20 local government areas of the state would be trained and equipped to adequately capture registration of children between 0 and 5 years, using digital platforms.
He lamented that Nigeria still operates and plans on inaccurate data as a result of a robust and synchronized data base, emphasizing the imperative for total adoption of digital birth registration.
Fasuwa added that apart from synchronizing data of Nigerians collected by various registration agencies, e-birth registration will go a long way in giving the nation an accurate census figure.
He, however, lauded the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for championing the campaigns on e-birth registration, declaring that the initiative would aid in proper planning and policy formulation by the government.
“We need to make sure that the birth registration drive should be built on the e-registration; if we are able to get this right which UNICEF is trying to help with it will be a very good one.
“UNICEF is working with the NPC to make this work. And the NPC has also embarked on advocacy by engaging traditional rulers, community leaders and opinion moulders, to spread the gospel of e-birth registration in Ogun State.
“The registration will be done from house to house in order to ensure that every child is captured. Therefore, we want to urge parents and guardians to secure the future of their children by registering their birth through the e-registration platform”, Fasuwa submitted.
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office for South West, Celine Lafoucriere, at a recent media dialogue organized for journalists in the southwest, had stressed that e-birth registration exercise would enhance effective planning and execution of socio-economic development of Nigeria.
She explained that UNICEF was committed to ensuring that every child got legal identity, which is a fundamental right of the children.
She added that e-birth registration would help eliminate challenges being faced by parents in getting the right identity for their children.
Lafoucriere stated further that birth registration would in no small measure assist governments and organisations at all levels to formulate policies and programmes across education, health and other sectors in the interest of the children and the society.