A child rights specialist with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Dennis Onoise, has stressed the importance of birth registration in giving children legal identity and helping government plan effectively for the population.
Speaking with Adamimogo 105.1FM Ibadan, Onoise said UNICEF had worked with the National Population Commission, NPC, for about a decade to promote birth registration in Nigeria, initially through manual processes before introducing digital registration.
He said the digital system, which has been expanded in recent years, is making the registration of children easier and more accessible.
Onoise explained that accurate birth registration helps governments determine the number of children living in different communities and plan for essential services such as schools, primary healthcare centres and paediatric services.
He said registration also provides children with important documentation that may be required when enrolling in school, travelling or accessing government services.
According to him, parents can register their children at the hospital immediately after birth or at designated primary healthcare centres where registration officers are available.
He emphasised that birth registration is free, adding that parents only need to provide basic information, including the child’s name and the names of the parents.
The information is entered digitally using a tablet, after which the birth certificate can be printed immediately or collected later if there are challenges with the network or printing facilities.
Onoise described the process as simple and quick, saying parents could complete the registration in about three to five minutes because it does not require extensive information.
On the relationship between birth registration and Nigeria’s population data, the UNICEF child rights specialist said registration was particularly important because the country had not conducted a national population census since 2006.
He noted that children should not have to wait for another census before obtaining legal documentation of their identity.
According to him, while a population census provides broader demographic information, continuous birth registration ensures that children are documented from birth and have evidence of their identity when needed.
He therefore urged parents to register their children as early as possible, describing birth registration as an important step towards protecting children’s rights, improving government planning and ensuring access to essential services.
