FG task parents on birth registration for planning

Parents and guardians in Osun State have been urged to prioritize the ongoing statewide birth registration exercise.

The National Orientation Agency, in partnership with the National Population Commission and United Nations Children’s Fund, had launched the birth registration social mobilization drive in the state.

The agencies said the exercise which had started in August, would end in November 2024.

The exercise would capture all children aged zero to five years and provide them with a National Identification Number and birth certificate without charges.

The NOA Osun State Director, Mrs. Bola Morgan, called on parents and guardians to ensure their wards participate in the registration to enable the government to plan well for their education, healthcare, and other essential services.

She said the drive, which is in partnership with the NPC and UNICEF is nationwide.

Morgan said birth registration of children was important as the government needs the data to plan and ensure that every child in Nigeria has access to education, healthcare, and other essential services.

“The drive is focused on registering all children from 0-5 years and providing them with a National Identification Number (NIN) free of charge.

“Birth registration is a fundamental right of every child and this initiative seeks to highlight its importance to the child, the family, the community, and the nation at large,” she said

According to her, the UNICEF statistics show that Osun State does not have data on children who are being born.

She explained that the non-availability of this data is largely because most mothers give birth to their children at home, in traditional homes, churches, or mosques.

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The NOA boss said there is also the superstition and fear by many natives in the state that registering the birth or documenting the birth of a child might lead to his or her death.

Morgan noted that the superstitions and wrong notions on birth registration are false, encouraging parents and guardians to visit the nearest center of NPC to register their children.

She said the birth registration drive will run from August to November, appealing to media professionals to help sensitize the public on the need for parents to register their children.

The state Director of NPC, Mr. Gbenga Osungbohun, said birth registration is not limited to any particular age, as anyone who needs a birth certificate can visit the commission or its centers to register.

Osungbohun said the government is working towards capturing and having adequate data on children born in the country and that children from ages 0-18 years can register for free.

He said one of the problems faced in getting people to register the birth of their children with NPC is that once they register their children at the local government, they do not bother registering with the NPC.

The director, however, stated the importance of having the NPC birth certificate, saying when it comes to obtaining or processing International documents, the NPC birth certificate is required and recognized.