By Uche Onyeali
Acting National President, National Council for Women Societies, NCWS, Mrs Geraldine Etuk has stressed the need for sensitisation on the importance of birth registration in Nigeria.
Mrs Etuk, who gave the emphasis at a one-day sensitisation campaign on birth registration, organised by the council in Abuja yesterday, described it as the first legal acknowledgment of a child’s existence.
She said the sensitisation campaign, with the theme: ‘Enhancing Birth Registration in Nigeria: Leveraging the NCWS Structure,’ was borne out of the official launch of the Renewed Hope Initiative Project to Accelerate Birth Registration at scale in Nigeria by the first lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
According to Mrs Etuk, the initiative highlighted the need to enhance advocacy and social mobilisation at household and community levels with the aim of increasing “the completeness and timeliness of birth registration and contribute to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal, SDG, 16.9 target.
“Today, we gather to tackle a crucial issue that forms the foundation of our society: the registration of births.
“The theme highlights our commitment to utilise our extensive network and grassroots presence to promote birth registration. As women leaders, we understand the importance of birth registration in securing a child’s identity, citizenship and future opportunities.
“Birth registration is the first legal acknowledgment of a child’s existence, essential for safeguarding their rights and privileges both now and in the future. Furthermore, accurate birth registration is crucial for national planning and development, as it provides government with essential data to effectively plan for education, healthcare and other social services.”
The NCWS boss regretted that Nigeria’s birth registration rate had continued to be low, as millions of children remain unregistered, a situation that exposes them to social risks such as exploitation, child labour and trafficking.
She expressed the commitment of the council as a leading women’s organisation, to advocate for the rights and welfare of women and children.
“We must leverage our structures across the 36 states and 774 local government areas to mobilise and educate communities about the importance of birth registration.
“Today’s campaign aims to raise awareness about the significance of birth registration, identify the challenges hindering it, propose solutions and strengthen partnerships with government agencies, international organisations and relevant stakeholders.
“We must work together to increase awareness about birth registration, improve access to registration services and enhance institutional capacity,” he added.
Etuk expressed appreciation for the support of NCWS partners, which include the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and the National Population Commission, NPC, as well as members of the council whom she said are working tirelessly to ensure the success of the campaign.
