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From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF),
National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and the National Population Commission (NPopC), have entered into partnership that would, expectedly, herald significant improvement in birth registration drive in Nigeria.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which was signed recently by representatives of the parties solidified the commitment of the three organizations to collaborate and support the digitalized birth registration process in 22 states and the FCT.
UNICEF Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, in a statement, on Wednesday, promised that UNICEF, being a leading organization in child welfare and development, will bring its expertise to support the digitalized birth registration services in focus states.
She said: “Our primary focus will be on providing technical assistance and evidence-based interventions. By integrating birth registration into routine health service delivery, conducting the digitalized birth registration process, and increasing awareness through state and community-level campaigns, we aim to ensure that every child has access to and benefits from the essential health and birth registration interventions they deserve.
She said that through the partnership, the NYSC, NPopC, and UNICEF would promote the importance of birth registration, stimulating increased demand for birth registration services in health facilities and at the community level.
“The collaboration will also foster constructive engagement with local government chairpersons, traditional and religious leaders, leveraging their support to enhance the digitalized birth registration process,” she added.
Director General, NYSC, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, expressed enthusiasm, saying, “NYSC is honoured to partner with the NPopC and UNICEF in this vital initiative.
“Our deployment of 850 corps members as coordinators and supervisors across 22 states and the FCT, will ensure effective monitoring and supervision of the birth registration process. Together, we would strive to achieve comprehensive data collection and availability, supporting increased birth registration coverage in our respective LGAs.
On his side, the Chairman of NPopC, Nasir Isa Kwarra, described the Commission as a key partner that will play a crucial role in ensuring the success of this partnership.
“We are committed to supporting the recruitment of ad-hoc birth registrars at the ward level and ensuring the availability of registration materials to coordinators and supervisors,” he promised.
