Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has decided to partner with the National Population Commission, (NPC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF to further ramp up birth registration in the country.
The First Lady intends to do so through her pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative.
The decision would be actualised through the launch of UNICEF/RHI Commemorative Birth Certificate for the year 2024.
The NPC Chairman, Nasir Kwarra who disclosed this after leading development partners to the office of the First Lady in Abuja, said the commemorative event, scheduled for August 29, 2024 will mark a major leap in the government’s effort to offer Nigerian children their first foundational identity.
‘It is a global thing and it took place on August 10, 2024, but we are having this as a special commemorative event with the First Lady championing this drive.
‘We had a fruitful chat with her and I want to believe that we have a great event ahead of us that will mark the full force drive of birth registra
tion to give Nigerian children their first foundational identity and recognition as our children that will grant access to government services, especially education and health,’ Mr Kwara stated.
The Chief Child Protection Officer, UNICEF, Ibrahim Sesay who was part of the visit described the launch as important, to close the existing gaps in birth registration and promote data-driven development plan for children in the country.
‘What is critical is we have been falling short in terms of reaching that obligation. So, the Office of the First Lady through the Renewed Hope Initiative, is a platform that we are now using to make sure that every child’s birth in Nigeria starting on the 29th of August gets accelerated birth registration in all parts of the federation,’ he stated.
The Official Launch of the UNICEF/RHI Commemorative Birth Certificate to Birth Registration in Nigeria will hold on Thursday 29th August in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Source: Voice of Nigeria