Birth registration : NPC, UNICEF to register over one million unregistered children in Jigawa

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse

The National Population Commission (NPC) with support from United Nations Education Fund (UNICEF), concluded arrangement to provide child birth registration to over one million unregistered children in Jigawa state.

The state Director National Population Commission (NPC) Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmad Iro announced the move while speaking at two- day meeting with stakeholders for state kick-off operational plans for birth registration 2023 held at Dutse.

He explained that, the exercise will hold in each political 287 wards across 27 local government with duration of 30 days for the exercise.

According to him, the exercise targeted over 518,000 children with age between 0-5 years old to have their child birth certificate within 30 days.

” In Jigawa state as of now, we recorded only 23.6 percent of 0-5 years old children that have birth registration, while the remaining over 70 percent are unregistered children most of them from hard-to- reach communities” , Ahmad Iro said.

The director then, appeal for more support from Jigawa state government, stakeholders and entire people in the state for successful 2023 birth registration exercise.

While making her remarks, UNICEF child protection specialist, Fatima Adamu said, UNICEF will support National Population Commission to provide birth certificate to 0-5 children in 22 states, starting with eight state.

She said, UNICEF is working with government to protect children across the states including their right to have national identity as enshrined in Goal 16.9 of SDGs.

According to her, UNICEF will continue working with NPC to ensure that one million unregistered children are registered in this year of 2023 in Jigawa.

She then assured more support and cooperation to NPC and government at large for better protection of children across the country.