Residents of Dorayi community in Gwale Local Government Area of Kano State have applauded the ongoing birth registration outreach programme for children under one year, describing the initiative as beneficial and accessible to families.
The exercise, supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Government of the Netherland in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), allows parents to register their children free of charge and receive birth certificates immediately.
Several parents who participated in the exercise at the village head’s residence expressed satisfaction with the smooth registration process.
One of the beneficiaries, Hajiya Maryam Murtala, said she was unable to register her eight-month-old baby at the hospital after delivery but responded quickly after hearing announcements about the outreach in the community.
“Birth registration remains important for school enrollment and other official documentation”, adding that “the exercise was stress-free despite transportation expenses”
Also speaking, Mr. Sama’ila Lawan Bello encouraged parents, especially mothers, to take advantage of the free registration opportunity, while Fatima Mohammad, a mother of three from Kwara State, appreciated the initiative for enabling her to register a child delivered at home.
Speaking during the exercise, the Head of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics at NPC Kano State Office, Hajiya Fatima Mohammed Bashir, explained that the outreach programme was introduced through the partnership between UNICEF, NPC, NIMC, and ALGON to improve birth registration among children below one year.
She observed that many parents often delay registration until children reach school age, stressing that early registration helps secure legal identity and access to essential social services.
According to her, continuous community sensitisation and the deployment of mobile registration teams equipped with generators and printers have improved awareness and enabled instant issuance of birth certificates.
ALGON focal person, Habibu Babale, disclosed that over 700 children had been registered in Gwale Local Government Area since the commencement of the campaign in April.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Registrar of NPC in Gwale Local Government Area, Ali Nuhu, said the outreach had recorded success in remote communities but noted that one day was inadequate to cover all eligible children because of population size and transportation difficulties.
He called for stronger awareness campaigns through traditional rulers, religious leaders, schools, markets, and community gatherings, while recommending an extension of the outreach period to improve coverage.
