The National Orientation Agency (NOA), in partnership with the National Population Commission (NPC), aims to commence the birth registration of 272,000 children in Niger.

Lanre Issa-Onilu, the agency’s director-general, disclosed this during a social mobilisation press conference in Minna on Friday.

Mr Issa-Onilu, represented by Suleiman Ajia, head of the special projects unit at the NOA headquarters, stated that the 2024 birth registration was supported by UNICEF and solicited the support of traditional leaders for a hitch-free exercise.

“Birth registration is crucial for developmental purposes, be it economic, social, or political. No nation can develop without it,” he said.

Simon Luka, representative of NPC in Niger, said the registration exercise would be conducted at the nearest primary healthcare centres across the 25 local government areas.

“This exercise aims to achieve robust birth registration for the country’s future. Everyone is expected to participate to give children legal means of identity,” he said.

Mr Luka disclosed that the ad hoc staff for the exercise were undergoing training, after which they would be deployed to the field for the birth registration exercise.

On his part, Yahaya Gbongbo, the state director of NOA, said the exercise aimed to register children aged zero to five years and provide them with a National Identification Number (NIN) for free.

Mr Gbongbo stated that the birth registration period was from September to November 2024 and called on parents and caregivers to bring their children along with means of identification for registration.

Grace Odeyemi, UNICEF team lead in Niger, said the initiative ensured every child was recorded, securing their rights to identity, protection, and essential services.

Ms Odeyemi stated that the birth registration exercise would be carried out using a digitalised application to pave the way for every child to be counted.

Mamman Dauda, representative of the Niger Primary Healthcare Development Agency, disclosed that the state’s birth registration indices were very low and appealed to parents to avail their children during the exercise.

(NAN)