Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has on Friday october 31, launched an e-Birth registration exercise in the state aimed at securing every child’s identity and rights.
Speaking during the launching of the exercise in Katsina, the governor said it marked a decisive step in his administration’s unwavering resolve
to ensure that no child in the state remains invisible, legally, socially, and statistically.
He said, “Birth registration is far more than a bureaucratic procedure, it is the first legal affirmation of a child’s
identity, the foundational document that unlocks their right to education, health care, inheritance, social protection, and full participation in civil life.
“Without it, children exist in a shadow of vulnerability to exploitation, exclusion, and deletion from a very system meant to serve them.”
He further explained that for too long, millions of children across Nigeria have grown up without this basic recognition; therefore absent from schools, enrollment records, excluded from vaccination drives, and denied access to justice when their rights are violated.
He added, “This is not only a failure of the system. It is a moral deficit that we must urgently correct.
“Under this administration, birth registration is no longer an afterthought; it is a co-pillar of child protection and inclusive governance.
“That is why I have directed all the residents of every ward and village heads across the State to be designated as permanent birth registration centres.
“This strategic decision embedded the registration process at the heart of our community, ensuring accessibility, cultural acceptance, and long-term sustainability.”
While expressing appreciation to development partners for their support, governor Dikko Umaru Radda urged traditional and religious leaders to play an active role in promoting the ongoing e-Birth Registration exercise, emphasizing that their participation is vital in encouraging parents and guardians to register every newborn child.
The director general of the National Population Commission (NPC), Osifo Tellson-Ojogun, described the initiative as a major milestone in Nigeria’s civil registration and vital statistics modernization agenda.
He noted that birth registration is a crucial step in acknowledging a child’s existence and identity, stressing that without it, a child remains unrecognized.
Earlier, the chief of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) field office in Kano, Rahama Rihood Farah, said the launch of the e-Birth Registration in Katsina state marks not only the continuation of a digitization journey that began in 2023 but also a new phase in ensuring that every child in the state is recognized and identified from birth.
He explained that, over the past year, the initiative has moved from planning and pilot stages to a sustainable, community-driven model, led by the National Population Commission with support from the National Identity Management Commission and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON).
Farah added that UNICEF has contributed significantly by providing essential equipment and digital tools, enabling real time registration across local government areas, thereby strengthening the state’s commitment to ensuring every child has a legal identity.
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