By
Babangida Galleon
Director General of the National orientation agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Onilu says accurate birth registration is vital for National planning and development.
The Director General stated this during at a news conference on birth registration social mobilization drive organized by the National orientation agency in collaboration with National population commission and UNICEF held in Yola the Adamawa State Capital.
Represented by Director, Special duties and states operations, Mr. David Akoji the Director General of the National orientation agency, Mallam Lanre Issa Said having the accurate data will also help in providing essential data for education, health care and public services, stressing that by registering a child birth families ensures recognition by state, protection from abuse, exploitation and statelessness.
“we encourage parents and guidance to visit the nearest NPC registration center to register their children. The process is simple, free and requires only supporting documents like an immunization card or existing birth certificate”
Lanre Issa, noted that the aim is to ensure that every child in Nigeria has access to essential services like education, healthcare and special protection as the drive is focused at registering all children from age zero to five years and provide them with National Identification number free of charge.
“birth registration is a fundamental right of every child in Nigeria and this initiative highlights its importance to the child, family, community and the Nation”.
He therefore commended the National population commission and UNICEF for partnership with NOA in launching the nationwide birth registration social mobilization drive.
In his remarks, director physical statistics and vital registration of the National population commission Innocent Yimirshikir said the commission has rolled out a drive this year targeting about nine million under five children to be registered within a period of three months and it is currently taking place in all the 774 local government areas across the country.
Innocent explained that in Adamawa State, 895 adhoc volunteer cut across the 21 local government areas of the state who were trained and are now on the field conducting the exercise.
According to him, the target of the commission for Adamawa State by the planned drives is 285, 000 children.
Earlier in his welcome address, the state director of the National orientation agency, David Agye thanked all the invited relevant stakeholders for attending the mobilization press conference which was aimed at securing the future of every Nigerian child.
He called on them to assist the National orientation agency in this mobilization campaign for the development of the state and the country at large.
There were goodwill messages from various stakeholders with an assurance of ensuring they too play their roles effectively and efficiently in reaching out to the people so that the children can be registered, as they commended the NOA, NIMC and NPC for their numerous efforts.
During the news conference, there were presentation by representative of NIMC on processes for NIN enrollment and child birth registration by the NPC officials.
