Abuja: The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMOWASD) has announced plans to collaborate with the National Population Commission (NPC) to strengthen birth registration and develop a reliable gender database. The aim is to promote inclusive national planning. Head of Press and Public Relations, Ahmed Danbazau, disclosed this in a statement following a courtesy visit by NPC Chairman, Aminu Yusuf, to the Minister, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Sulaiman-Ibrahim said the ministry would support community mobilisation and sensitisation of women to participate in continuous Civil Registration and Vital Statistics processes and the forthcoming Population and Housing Census nationwide. She noted that reliable population data remained critical to addressing persistent challenges facing women and children, stressing that accurate statistics were essential for effective policy formulation and targeted interventions.
‘These are the issues we must address together, ensuring that children are properly registered at community and hospital levels and that we understand our population dynamics,’ the minister said. She reaffirmed that the ministry was committed to promoting inclusive national development through a credible gender database that would advance equity, protect children’s rights, and support family empowerment initiatives across the country.
Earlier, Yusuf reiterated the commission’s resolve to advance gender-responsive policies, expand birth registration coverage, and improve access to accurate and timely population data for sustainable development. He emphasised the ministry’s strategic role in promoting the welfare, protection, and empowerment of women, children, and families through coordinated policies and nationwide advocacy programmes.
Yusuf stated that as custodian of population statistics and the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system, the commission would continue producing credible data for evidence-based policymaking and equitable service delivery. He identified strengthening birth registration, particularly for the girl-child, as a priority, noting that legal identity was the foundation for accessing education, healthcare, and social protection services.