Ibadan: The National Population Commission (NPC) has launched a two-day training program for its staff in local government councils and ALGON focal personnel on the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (ECRVS) birth registration system in Oyo State.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the training on the ECRVS system is a collaborative effort involving the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). During the opening of the workshop in Ibadan, Mr. Ademola Awolola, the State Director of NPC, emphasized the initiative as a train-the-trainer scheme aimed at empowering various local government councils. He stressed the importance of paying close attention to details to ensure the effectiveness of training sessions at the local government level, thereby achieving the desired targets and results.
Miss Latifah Aspitah-Isah, the National Project Coordinator for Birth Registration at ALGON, highlighted the significance of the partnership, demonstrating the achievements possible when government institutions, local government structures, and development partners unite for an urgent cause. Aspitah-Isah underscored the right of every Nigerian child to be acknowledged legally from birth, noting that birth registration serves as the foundation for a child’s access to education, healthcare, inheritance, nationality, and protection from exploitation. She expressed concern over the significant gaps in birth registration coverage in Nigeria, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach areas, which leave many children undocumented and invisible to systems designed to protect them.
Aspitah-Isah reiterated ALGON’s commitment to collaborating with all 774 local government areas in Nigeria to transform birth registration into a sustained culture rather than a mere event. Mr. Sikiru Sanda, ALGON Chairman for Oyo State Chapter and Chairman of Egbeda Local Government, praised the local governments for their participation and urged attendees to remain attentive and seek clarity when needed. He emphasized the importance of being well-informed to ensure proper documentation and highlighted the goal of achieving a fully digitalized birth procedure nationwide.
Mr. Sanda explained that this digitalization would enhance national planning by providing accurate statistics, which were previously lacking due to the absence of a proper database. He urged residents not to politicize the exercise amid the electioneering period, emphasizing that the process is for the betterment of children and not politically motivated.