Women Affairs, NPC Partner On Birth Registration, Gender Data

The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development has expressed readiness to partner with the National Population Commission (NPC) to strengthen birth registration and develop a reliable gender database for inclusive national planning.

Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, stated this during a courtesy visit by the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Aminu Yusuf, and his delegation to her office in Abuja.

The minister said the ministry was willing to collaborate with the commission, particularly in community mobilisation and in sensitising women to actively participate in the commission’s activities, including the ongoing Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) processes and the forthcoming Population and Housing Census.

She noted that reliable population data remained critical to addressing challenges facing women and children, stressing that accurate statistics would provide a strong foundation for targeted policy interventions.

“These are the kind of issues we want to address together, ensuring that children are properly registered, whether at the community level or in hospitals, and that we have the opportunity to study and understand our population dynamics,” she said.

Suleiman-Ibrahim reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to promoting inclusive national development through a dependable database that prioritises gender equity, the protection of children, and the empowerment of families.

Earlier, Yusuf reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the ministry to advance gender-responsive policies, expand birth registration coverage and improve access to reliable population data for national development.

He appreciated the ministry’s warm reception and acknowledged its role in promoting the welfare, protection, and empowerment of women, children, and families across the country.

As custodian of population statistics and CRVS in Nigeria, the NPC chairman said the commission remained focused on producing timely and credible data to guide evidence-based policymaking, equitable service delivery and inclusive national planning.

Yusuf identified strengthening birth registration, particularly for the girl-child, as a key priority, noting that registration provides every child with a legal identity and a pathway to accessing education, healthcare, and social protection services.

He also commended the ministry’s leadership ahead of the 70th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, where both agencies are expected to contribute to discussions on advancing the rights of women and the girl-child.