United Nations Children’s Fund, Nigeria Population Commission and the Lagos State Government Ministry of Youths and Social Development have reeled out many benefits that Nigerian children can get if effectively captured in the e-birth registration platform.
They said there was a need for all stakeholders to join in the advocacy for increased number of digital child registration, noting that e-birth registration platform would enhance easy identity and planning for the welfare and development of Nigerian children.
The two-day media dialogue programme themed: “A media dialogue to drive E-birth registration in South West Nigeria,” had in attendance journalists from across the zone and those in Edo State.
The UNICEF Chief of Field Office Lagos, Ms Celine Lafoucriere, in his welcome address at the programme on Monday in Lagos said the move was to ensure every Nigerian Child was given the right to be given identity.
Lafoucriere, who said if the e-birth registration was very key, it should be a right from birth and not something that should be a formality or procedural.
She said that once the target was met, it would be a game changer for Nigeria and it would also help generate valid statistics for planning.
The UNICEF Chief of Lagos Office said having valid statistics leads to having quality access to healthcare and education.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Director of NPC, Bamidele Sadiku said having the e-birth registration platform would lead to provision of better lives for Nigerians.
Sadiku said with the commission’s partners, they wanted to put things in the right perspective, provide vital recommendations and remove issues of double registration.
“This will give identity to every child that is born in the country. The synergy with National Identification Number (NIN) is there already. It is good and it will help us to have a common database. We need your (journalists) support to send these message across Nigeria,” he said.
Denis Onoije, Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF, said the importance of the media coordination amongst stakeholders for a robust and holistic digital civil registration.
Onoije said that the 2024 target was 9.4 million children that were under-5 years and over 1.5 million children under one year.
According to him, there are about 4000 registration centers across the 774 local government areas of the country.
