With the aim of launching digital birth registration, also known as e-registration, the National Population Commission (NPC) has initiated training for approximately 1,500 ad hoc workers in Ogun State.
In an interview with NewsNow on Tuesday, Fasuwa Johnson, the NPC Federal Commissioner for the state, announced this development.
Johnson mentioned that last week, the commission provided training to staff from 11 local government areas and is set to extend the training to Sagamu, Ijebu Ode, and Ijebu Imushin training centers on Wednesday.
Expressing gratitude to UNICEF for their e-birth registration project, the commissioner stressed that this initiative will greatly contribute to effective planning and policy formulation.
He expressed concern over the reliance on outdated data for national policies, emphasizing the importance of accurate data for proper planning and development.
“Creating a robust foundation for birth registration, especially through e-registration, is crucial. Achieving this, with the support from UNICEF, will be highly beneficial,” Johnson remarked.
“In Ogun State, we have nearly 1,500 ad hoc participants distributed across the 20 local government areas. Last week, we successfully trained personnel from 11 local government areas situated in three training centers, and a review meeting was just concluded,” he added.
“The review session was aimed at evaluating the progress of these centers and strategizing for the upcoming three centers. Tomorrow, we will proceed to train staff at Sagamu, Ijebu Ode, and Ijebu Mushin training centers.”
“The training will focus on educating them on the process of registering births of children aged between 0 and 5. Our goal is to ensure that every child under the age of five possesses a digital birth certificate,” Johnson explained.
Emphasizing on the significance of capturing every child, the commissioner highlighted that the registration efforts will extend to households to guarantee comprehensive coverage. He urged parents and guardians to prioritize their children’s futures by enrolling them.