UNICEF, Commission Train Birth Registration Officers In Kwara

The National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and UNICEF has organised a two-day capacity building and training for ward registrars on birth registration and civil registration systems in Kwara State.

At the event in Ilorin, the state capital, the federal commissioner of NPC in Kwara State, Dr Yahaya Isiaka Alada, described the initiative as a landmark step towards decentralising and harmonising the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system across Nigeria.

He said the training marked the transition from policy agreements to practical implementation at the grassroots level.

Alada noted that the NPC remains committed to expanding the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (eCRVS) system nationwide, in line with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He recalled a strategic meeting convened by UNICEF in December 2024, which brought together key stakeholders including NPC, ALGON, NIMC, and technology partners to strengthen collaboration and improve birth registration processes in the country.

He said that the partnership aims to ensure that every child born in Nigeria is registered, stressing that decentralisation would bring registration services closer to communities.

Alada added that plans were underway to establish additional registration centres across the 16 local government areas of the state to ensure timely issuance of birth certificates with unique identification numbers.

In her opening remarks, the national project coordinator on birth registration for ALGON, Latifah Aspitah Isah, underscored the importance of birth registration as the foundation of legal identity.

She described it as a gateway to essential services such as healthcare, education, and social protection, warning that unregistered children risk exclusion from government interventions.

Delivering a keynote address, the state commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Dr Lawal Olorungbebe, commended the collaboration between NPC, UNICEF, and ALGON, describing it as a strategic initiative that aligns with the state government’s commitment to ensuring that every child has a legal identity from birth.