NOA, NPC, UNICEF begin birth registration exercise in Akwa Ibom

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), in partnership with the National Population Commission (NPC) and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), has launched a nationwide birth registration social mobilization drive in Akwa Ibom State.

The State Director of NOA, Mr Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, who announced this during a press conference in Uyo, the state capital, on Monday, said the exercise was aimed at ensuring that every child in the state, and Nigeria at large, has access to education, healthcare, and other essential services.

He explained that the drive, which will run from August to November 2024, will focus on the registration of all children aged 0-5 years, providing them with a National Identification Number (NIN) free of charge upon face capturing.

While urging parents and guardians to take advantage of the opportunity and register their wards at the nearest NPC centre, the director emphasized that birth registration is the first legal acknowledgment of a child’s existence and is essential for safeguarding their rights and privileges both now and in the future.

He said the process is simple and free and requires only supporting documents such as an immunization card or an existing birth certificate of a parent or guardian.

The statement in part read, “We are excited to announce the launch of a nationwide birth registration social mobilization drive. 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.

“Moreover, accurate birth registration is vital for national planning and development, as it provides the government with essential data to plan for education, healthcare, and other public services.

“By registering a child’s birth, families ensure that their children are recognized by the state, which is the first step in protecting them from abuse, exploitation, and statelessness.”

In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom State Director of the National Population Commission (NPC), Emmanuel Edem, said every child has the right to a legal identity, regretting that “a large number of children born today do not officially exist.”

According to him, “These children are deprived of birth certificates, which are their first legal proof of existence and identity simply because their parents cannot afford it, cannot access it, or face some other barrier to accessing registration services.”

He said that without a birth certificate, children are invisible to their governments, which means they may miss out on essential programs like child protection, healthcare, and education that help secure their most fundamental rights.

“A birth certificate is proof of identification. Children without a birth certificate are unable to prove their age, making them more vulnerable to violence, abuse, and exploitation. These children risk being trafficked, recruited into armed forces, or forced into early marriage or child labour.

“If they come into contact with the justice system, they may be prosecuted as adults and exposed to even more violence,” he added.

In a goodwill message, the State Comptroller of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Jummai Damisa-Babson, who was represented by an assistant comptroller, Prince Anono, lauded the organizers of the event and pledged the NIS’s commitment to the success of the program.

He said, “We are stakeholders in issues of identity. For us in the immigration office, the date of birth is very important. That is why our database is synchronized with that of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). We want people to abide by this so that discrepancies in age, as we normally witness, will reduce.”