By Abdulfatai Abdulsalami, Sokoto
The National Population Commission (NPC) has surpassed it’s target of registration children between ages of 0-5 yrs by registering 300,182 between the month of October and November, 2024 in Sokoto State.
The NPC State Director, Alhaji Malami Marafa-Gagi said the coverage surpassed the initiative target of 238,289 with 61,893 children within the period.
The NPC State Director disclosed this at a press briefing on the joint exercise organised by National Orientation Agency (NOA), United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) and NPC on Thursday in Sokoto.
Marafa-Gagi said the coverage surpassed the initiative target of 238,289 with 61,893 children within the period.
He explained that the nationwide e-birth registration social mobilisation drive was aimed at ensuring that every child has access to education, healthcare and other essential services.
“Birth registration is the first legal acknowledgment of a child’s existence, essential for safeguarding their rights and privileges,” the director said.
Mr Babangida Kurfi, the NOA State Director in Sokoto, underscored the importance of the exercise that would facilitate preserving right data for formal plans and other preparations on education, health and recreational facilities.
Kurfi appealed to parents and community leaders and members to support the exercise by submitting their eligible children for registration for the country’s vital data as obtained globally. .
He said NOA had mobilized its workers at all levels to ensure success of the exercise which he described as crucial for unlocking access to basic services such as education and healthcare, which are vital for a child’s development and future.
The State Coordinator of National Identify Management Agency (NIMC), Malam Musa Usman, said that every child aged 0-5 years would receive a National Identification Number (NIN) upon face capturing and birth registration.U
Usman sought the state government support for the management of local government NIMC offices for smooth running of registration activities.
He said the digital registration would help to ensure the harmonisation of records and prevent discrepancies.
In his address, the District Head of Gagi in Sokoto South local government area, Alhaji Sani Umar-jabbi, stressed the need for community members to support the drive for adequate demographic planning.
Umar-jabbi said the increased population growth in the country needed to align with economic, health, education, and other social planning.
He highlighted the dangers of improper birth control, poor social, economic empowerment planning which resulted in food scarcity, falling educational standard, low income generation, increased in crimes and other societal illa.
The royal father assured traditional rulers support and urged the organiser to consider using the 87 district heads’ palaces across the states as registration centers to facilitate more successes.
Earlier in his remarks, Secretary to Sokoto State Government, Alhaji Bello Sifawa, commended NPC, NOA, NIPC and UNICEF for the support which will support state government planning and enhance governance.
Sifawa, represented by Permanent Secretary on Political Affairs, Alhaji Abdullahi Malami-Yabo, assured maximum state government support and was ready to partner with all national and international agencies for the development of the state.
