UNICEF Urges Media to Address 3.5M Birth Registration Gap

UNICEF has reported that approximately 3.5 million children across seven South-West states in Nigeria are without official birth registration, which denies them legal identity and visibility in government planning. During a two-day media dialogue in Lagos organized by the National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with UNICEF, Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, urged journalists to enhance reporting and advocacy efforts on birth registration, especially for children under one year.

She emphasized that birth registration is crucial for providing children with legal identity and access to essential services. Lafoucriere acknowledged progress in Lagos state, which has launched initiatives for birth registration for children under one.

Lagos state NPC Director, Kekere-Ekun Abiola, also called for intensified advocacy, highlighting the need for every child to be officially counted for effective government planning. The NPC has embraced digitalization to facilitate birth registration and urged journalists to leverage digital platforms for outreach.