The United Nations Children’s Fund and the National Population Commission have partnered with the National Youth Service Corps for the registration of 12.7 million births in 2023.
The partnership will also include the issuance of birth certificates that provide the names and nationality of every child in Nigeria, under the age of 5, in 21 states, 456 local government areas, and 4,978 wards across the country.
UNICEF Chief of Child Protection, Dr Ibrahim Sesay, stated this while leading a team of officials of the agency and the NPC, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the NYSC at the National Directorate Headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.
In a statement by the NYSC on Wednesday, Dr Sesay said “800 Corps members would be enlisted for the exercise and would work alongside the National Population Commission officials”.
He stated further that the registration of births and birth certificates are the legal identities of every Nigerian and that the data of every child would be stored in the digital birth registration system in the custody of the National Population Commission while expressing optimism for the success of the tripartite collaboration.
Meanwhile, NYSC Director of Corps Welfare and Health Services, Mr Omotade Ayodele, disclosed that the MoU between the NYSC and UNICEF/NPC would have UNICEF as the lead agency, but added that “the scheme is willing to partner with organisations that are prepared to contribute to national development”.
The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General Yusha’u Ahmed, represented by the Director, Community Development Service and Special Projects, Mrs. Zainab Isah, while commending the initiative, appealed for adequate security and proper remuneration for the Corps Members that would be engaged in the exercise.
Also, the DG of the NPC, Dr. Tellson Osifo, expressed the readiness of the commission for the collaboration.