Wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has stressed that a robust and efficient civil registration system is crucial to national development and governance.
He stated this on Thursday, during the official launch of the 2024 UNICEF/RHI Commemorative Birth Certificate at the State House, Abuja.
Senator Tinubu said the renewed drive to register every birth would help the nation achieve Sustainable Development Goal 16.
The First Lady said that the commemorative birth certificate distribution will run from August 29 to December 31, 2024.
“It is important to note that a strong and efficient civil registration system is critical to our development and governance. It ensures that every live birth is recorded, and forms the basis for policy, planning and service delivery that meets the needs of all Nigerians.
“It is more than an administrative function; it provides the basis for our social security.”
He highlighted the benefits to society of prioritising birth registration, including proper and adequate planning by the government.
“Our children, who are the heritage of our country, must be guaranteed their rights and privileges from the very beginning. A well-functioning civil registration and vital statistics safeguard these rights and ensure that no violations go unnoticed.
“Birth registration is very important for all parents. It is legal proof of the child’s identity as a Nigerian, without which children will not be fully recognised by the government. They may be denied government provision of healthcare, education and other social amenities.
“Without a birth certificate, children will be unable to prove their age and this will cause them great disadvantage. Therefore I encourage all parents to register the birth of their children and obtain authentic birth certificates recognised by the government.”
“That is why the Renewed Hope Initiative is launching the 2024 Commemorative Birth Certificate to support the government’s birth registration drive. The National Population Commission will issue this special certificate with the RHI logo for all births from August 29, 2024 to December 31, 2024.”
Ms Christian Munduate, UNICEF Country Representative, commended the efforts of the Nigerian Government in ensuring that no births went unregistered, particularly the introduction of technological methods to enhance statistics.
Symbolic electronic registration of children was done in this program.
Wives of the governors of various states were also present on the occasion, who were going to assist in the campaign to increase birth registration in their respective states.
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