BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto –
The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with The National Population Commission (NPC) have appealed to the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111 and his Council to help sensitize parents in the state on the essence of birth registration.
Speaking to the Council in the Sultan’s palace on Thursday, Mr Pius Uwamanua, UNICEF Sokoto Field Office Child Protection Specialist, said that they were courtesy visit to solicit for support from all traditional leaders in Sokoto on the importance of birth registration,
Mr. Uwamanua noted that aside giving children legal Identity, birth registration also enables government to plan for their security, education and welfare.
He said: “Birth registration enters into the directory of the nation hence making the child a bonifide citizen of such country”‘.
The UNICEF child protection specialist, stressed that an unregistered child could be seen as a child that does not exist, adding that registering a child helps government to make projections for each state.
He however lamented that the percentage of child registration in Sokoto State is low because most parents do not know the advantages of doing so.
Speaking on some of the identified gaps that were responsible for the low birth registration in Sokoto, Mr Pius listed inadequate manpower as a major factor.
He said: “We have noticed that there is actually less manpower in providing these services, which is why we are imploring the traditional leaders to help the National Population Commission (NPC) in providing routine birth registration from their respective domains””.
Speaking earlier, the Sokoto State Director of National Population Commission, Malami Marafan Gagi said they are in the Sultan’s palace to inform the traditional council that Sokoto is experiencing backwardness in birth registration.
Malami further divulged that plans have been completed to commence digital birth registration in Sokoto State.
Moderating the meeting, the Sultan of Sokoto and President General, Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar 111 wondered why more girls are been registered than boys in the State as captured by the available data.
On his part, the Sarkin Yaman Katami, Malam Garba said controllers of the NPC are to be blamed for low birth registration in Sokoto as they are rarely seen in the local governments.
He however assured that with the sensitization, they as traditional leaders being the closest to the locals will, henceforth, champion the cause of birth registration in their respective domains.
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