UNICEF, NPC, and NOA Partner with 44 LGAs to Boost Birth Registration Awareness in Kano State
By Maikudi Muhammad Marafa
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA), has partnered with stakeholders from 44 local government areas in Kano State to intensify grassroots awareness on birth registration and improve documentation for children under one year.
This was disclosed by the Kano State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Alhaji Nura Liman, during the one-day sensitization meeting on Social Mobilization Strategies for Improved Birth Certificate Registration held at the Gwale Local Government Islamic Centre Hall.
In a statement issued to journalists by the Kano Municipal Zonal Information Officer, Abdullahi Musa Gyadi Gyadi, Alhaji Nura Liman commended UNICEF and NPC for their collaboration with the NOA in organizing the meeting. He described the initiative as a timely step towards strengthening public enlightenment and mobilization at the grassroots to ensure that every child in Kano is registered at birth.
> “Birth registration is not just a formality—it is a right and a foundation for a child’s access to social services, education, and protection,” Alhaji Liman emphasized.
He also urged participants to play their part in educating communities on the importance of registering births promptly, adding that accurate records help in effective planning and national development.
Speaking on the objectives of the meeting, the NOA Head of Media and Communication, Hajiya Hauwa Adamu Garba, highlighted that the campaign aims to map out community-based strategies to enhance participation in birth registration across all local governments. She explained that proper documentation ensures the inclusion of every Nigerian child in the national identity system and supports access to health, education, and other social services.
Also Read: “Kano: A Government that Values and Empowers the Media
Representatives of the National Population Commission, Alhaji Mahmud Rabi’u, and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Alhaji Umar Abdullahi, both stressed the crucial role of early birth registration in policy implementation, child welfare, and national planning.
They commended traditional and community leaders from Municipal, Gwale, Dala, and Fagge local governments for their unwavering commitment to child rights and development.
At the end of the meeting, participants were grouped according to their respective local governments to develop localized strategies that will ensure smooth and sustainable community mobilization for the birth registration campaign.
