NOA, NPC Commence Birth Registration In Osun

-Say It’s A Fundamental Right Of Every Child

By Aleemat Raheem, Rofiat Adams, Oyindamola Ayanbode,& Fridaus Adetoye

The National Orientation Agency, in partnership with the National Population Commission and United Nations Children’s Fund, on Monday, announced the launch of a statewide birth registration social mobilisation drive.

CityMirrorNews reports that exercise is scheduled to begin in August and end in November 2024, to register 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, while addressing a press conference in Osogbo, on Monday, said the drive, which is in partnership with the National Population Commission and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is nationwide.

Morgan said birth registration of children is very important as 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

She said the UNICEF statistics actually shows that Osun State does not really have a data of children given birth to.

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

She 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.

The Osun NOA Director said the superstitions and wrong notions on birth registration is false, encouraging parents and guardians to visit the nearest centre of NPC to register their children.

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

Mr Gbenga Osungbohun, the National Population Commission, Osun State Director, in his address said birth registration is not limited to any particular age, as anyone who need birth certificate can visit the commission or its centres to register.

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

He said one of the problem faced in getting people to register the birth of their children with NPC is that once they register the birth of their children at the local government, they don’t 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 what is required/recognised.