By Habibu Harisu
Alhaji Abdullahi Chiso-Dattijo, the Federal Commissioner of National Population Commission (NPC) representing Sokoto State, has urged parents, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to encourage e-birth registration.
He made the call during the launch of the e-birth registration in Sokoto on Wednesday, being part of the Electronic- Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system aimed at ensuring every child was registered, protected and empowered.
He described the registration as important and historic, stating that it was a commitment to the future of children in the state.
He added that “this initiative represents a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to modernise civil registration, improve the generation of vital statistics.
“It will ensure that births and death are accurately captured through a secure, efficient and technology-driven system.
“Registration is much more than a legal requirement, it provides every citizen with legal identity and generates reliable demographic data that supports government planning, healthcare delivery, education, social protection, security and economic development.”
Chiso-Dattijo, a former Deputy Governor in the state, stressed that in spite of remarkable progress recorded, many births and deaths were still not registered across the country.
He added that the gap limits access to essential services and weakens the quality of data required for effective planning.
The commissioner highlighted that the digital platform was introduced to ensure faster and more efficient registration services, improved accuracy, reduced paper work and processing time.
“It will also enhance security and integrity of records, make easier access to registration services and facilitate reliable database for planning and national development.
“The platform is also designed to integrate seamlessly with other government digital systems, thereby strengthening Nigeria’s national identity ecosystem and improve service delivery,” he added.
The NPC State Director, Mr Salihu Ladan, also urged parents, guardians and the public to take advantage of the digital platforms and ensure births and others registered.
Ladan also urged traditional and religious leaders to champion the exercise to encourage parents and guardians to register every newborn.
He commended UNICEF for the continued support, noting that the UN body had supported NPC offices in the 23 local government areas with digital printers in Sokoto State.
UNICEF and NIMC representatives commended NPC for the initiative and assured increased synergy to achieve the desire results.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu