The Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) has implored traditional institutions and other stakeholders to help mobilise their subjects and members to participate in the LASRRA registration to help government plan and take development to them.

The General Manager of LASRRA, Mrs Bilkis Adebiyi-Abiola, disclosed this at a sensitisation campaign and town hall meeting on the roles and responsibilities of the agency at the palace of the Obateru of Egbin Kingdom, Ijede LCDA, Ikorodu, Lagos.

She stated that because the agency understands the importance of the registration to attracting government projects, programmes and development to different communities is why it is expanding its registration drive to communities, schools and healthcare facilities across the state to make registration more accessible to residents.

Adebiyi-Abiola said the agency was working with traditional rulers across the five divisions of Lagos State to take registration closer to residents and enlighten them on the importance of being captured in the state’s residents’ database.

She said the recent directive by the Ministry of Education requiring students in private schools to have LASRRA registration had increased the agency’s registration numbers.

“Currently, before the announcement, LASRRA was only required for public schools. But now, private schools are part of it,” she said.

The GM said LASRRA planned to register all students in private schools across Lagos within the next year, adding that the data would help the Ministry of Education track learners and plan education services.

She also disclosed that the agency was developing technology that would allow schools to schedule LASRRA registration visits, with the system expected to be deployed within the next few weeks.

Adebiyi-Abiola further disclosed that about 60,000 LASRRA cards were available for collection by residents who had previously registered.

She said the cards had been distributed to local government areas closest to the addresses supplied by residents during registration.

She also said residents who had registered could check the availability of their cards by dialing *347641# with the telephone number used during registration, while 20 eligible artisans and skilled workers in the community would benefit from free Trade Test slots announced by the agency.

The Obateru of Egbin Kingdom, Oba AbdulAkeem Adeoriyomi Oyebo, urged residents who had not registered to do so, saying accurate population data was necessary for government to plan infrastructure and social services.

The monarch said he had been registered with LASRRA for more than 10 years and had used his card whenever required.