Millions of Nigerian Kids at Risk Due to Lack of Birth Registration

The United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF, has sounded a warning that approximately 3.5 million children in Nigeria are not registered at birth, putting them at risk of being denied access to essential services like education and healthcare. According to Celine Lafoucriere, the Chief of Field Office, Lagos, having a birth registration is a fundamental right that is essential for every child to access vital services throughout their life. Lafoucriere made this known during a media dialogue on birth registration, which was organized by the National Population Commission in collaboration with UNICEF. She emphasized that birth registration is critical for the government to include children in planning and social protection programs. Lafoucriere noted that the absence of birth registration could have severe implications for government planning, budgeting, and the delivery of social protection interventions. She explained that unregistered children are excluded from the social register, making it difficult for the government to account for them when designing and funding programs. UNICEF is working closely with the Nigerian government to strengthen the social register and improve the implementation of social protection programs. Lafoucriere urged journalists to raise awareness about the importance of birth registration, particularly among vulnerable families and communities. The UNICEF official also stressed that birth registration should not be seen as just an administrative task, but as the first step towards ensuring that every child can enjoy other fundamental rights. In his remarks, the Lagos State Director of the National Population Commission, Abiola Kekere-Ekun, encouraged journalists to go beyond reporting population statistics and government activities by taking the message of birth registration directly to parents and caregivers in communities. Kekere-Ekun noted that accurate birth registration is vital for effective governance, as it enables the government to determine the number and distribution of children and plan adequately for essential services. UNICEF Child Protection Specialist, Denis Onoise, explained that birth certificates are essential legal documents that establish a child's identity and recognition before the law. Onoise stated that civil registration and legal identity systems generate records required by law and provide vital information for use by government and private institutions.