According to report reaching OYOGist.com, the National Population Commission (NPC) has reportedly said that all birth certificates issued by local governments and hospitals are not acceptable for official purposes in the country.
According to the Commission, only birth certificates issued by NPC is acceptable as the commission is the only agency legally authorised to issue such documents in the country.
The State Director of NPC in Ebonyi state, Edward Ogbu stated this during a review meeting and retraining of Ebonyi State health facility workers on birth registration service delivery.
The State Director of NPC in Ebonyi state, Edward Ogbu stated this during a review meeting and retraining of Ebonyi State health facility workers on birth registration service delivery.
The meeting, which was held with support and collaboration of the United Nations Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) took place at Citi Hub Events Centre in Abakaliki, capital of the state with health workers from all the local governments and health facilities in the state in attendance.
Mr Ogbu solicited the help of government and health workers in the mobilisation of parents to register their children.
In a keynote address, the UNICEF Chief of Field office Enugu, Ibrahim Conteh lamented that recent records shows that child registration in the country is still very low.
Quoting the National Demographic Health Survey 2018, Mr Conteh said that 57 percent of children in Nigeria do not have their births registered.
Represented by a Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF, Enugu, Mr Victor Atuchukwu, the UNICEF Chief said
that of the 43 percent registered births only 62 percent are registered with NPC.
“26 percent are registered with private clinic/hospitals, 9 percent are registered with Local Government Administratiom while 3 percent are registered with other authorities”, he said
Mr Conteh noted that non registration of new born child has a lot of disadvantages to both the child, the community and the country in general.
According to him non registration of children’s births puts their access to basic service under threat.
Mr Conteh noted that child registration is critical for the Nigerian child as it provides survival, health, education, social services initiatives and development goals.
According to him, it also provides legal and documentary evidence to certify a person’s existence, age, parentage, birth place and nationality.
He noted that birth registration also helps to check incidences of child abuse, child trafficking, early marriages, child labour, unlawful detention, etc.
Mr. Conteh noted that such data also helps government and organisations in Health, Education, Social Security and Insurance planning.
