NYSC, NPC, UNICEF collaborate to revolutionize birth registration in Nigeria
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the National Population Commission (NPC), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced a new partnership aimed at revolutionizing birth registration in Nigeria.
This collaboration, solidified through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), seeks to enhance the digitalized birth registration process in 22 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to a statement issued by UNICEF and obtained by journalists in Maiduguri, the partnership aims to establish a robust framework for implementing a comprehensive and efficient digitalized birth registration process across Nigeria.
The NYSC, NPC, and UNICEF will leverage their existing resources and facilities to benefit at least 12 million eligible children under the age of five, who will be registered as primary beneficiaries.
Additionally, families, parents, caregivers, communities, households, state and local government areas (LGAs), and ward-level administrators will be indirect beneficiaries of this collaboration.
Brigadier General YD Ahmed, the Director General of NYSC, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, “The NYSC is honored to join hands with the NPC and UNICEF in this vital initiative. By deploying 850 corps members as coordinators and supervisors across 22 states and the FCT, we will ensure effective monitoring and supervision of the birth registration process. Together, we will strive to achieve comprehensive data collection and availability, supporting increased birth registration coverage in our respective LGAs.”
The NPC, as a key partner, will play a crucial role in ensuring the success of this partnership.
According to Chairman of NPC, Honourable Nasir Isa Kwarra, “We are committed to supporting the recruitment of ad hoc birth registrars at the ward level and ensuring the availability of registration materials to coordinators and supervisors. Through the distribution of protocols, checklists, FAQs, and informational materials, we aim to engage local government chairpersons, traditional and religious leaders, and communities to promote the importance of birth registration. Together, we will generate and analyze digitalized birth registration data at the LGAs and wards, ultimately increasing birth registration coverage.”
UNICEF, a leading organization in child welfare and development, will contribute its expertise to support the digitalized birth registration services in the focus states.
Cristian Munduate, UNICEF representative in Nigeria, emphasized, “Our primary focus will be on providing technical assistance and evidence-based interventions. By integrating birth registration into routine health service delivery, conducting the digitalized birth registration process, and increasing awareness through state and community-level campaigns, we aim to ensure that every child has access to and benefits from the essential health and birth registration interventions they deserve.”
Through this partnership, the NYSC, NPC, and UNICEF are committed to promoting the importance of birth registration within the National Youth Corps programs, thereby stimulating increased demand for birth registration services in health facilities and at the community level.
The collaboration will also foster constructive engagement with local government chairpersons, traditional and religious leaders, leveraging their support to enhance the digitalized birth registration process, added the UNICEF representative in Nigeria.
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