The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, through her Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), has partnered with the National Population Commission (NPC) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to ramp up birth registration in the country with the launch of UNICEF/RHI Commemorative certificate registration beginning on Thursday in Abuja.
NPC Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra disclosed this yesterday when he led development partners to the office of the First Lady at the State House, Abuja.
Kwarra said the commemorative event, scheduled for August 29, would mark a major leap in government’s effort to offer Nigerian children their first foundational identity.
He said: “It is a global thing and it took place on August 10, 2024, but we are having this as a special commemorative event with the First Lady championing this drive. We had a fruitful chat with her and I want to believe that we have a great event ahead of us that will mark the full force drive of birth registration to give Nigerian children their first foundational identity and recognition, as our children that will grant access to government services, especially education and health.”
UNICEF Chief Child Protection Officer, Ibrahim Sesay, described the launch as an important move to close the existing gaps in birth registration, and promote a data-driven development plan for children in the country.
Managing Director of Barnksforte Technologies Limited, Adedayo Bankole, who is a technical partner to the NPC, highlighted the digitisation of the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (eCVRS) system.
He emphasised the importance of establishing a foundational identity and ensuring the security of data for every child.
Bankole noted the system’s interoperability with other identity agencies such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and its seamless access to immunisation records and other government social welfare services.
The technical partner also underscored the authenticity and reliability of the national document for verification purposes.
