The Lagos State Government has launched an E-Birth Registration Initiative in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the National Population Commission (NPC), and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) to ensure every child born in the state is captured in the national database.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the digital system would allow children’s information to be recorded from birth and linked to their National Identification Number (NIN), improving planning for healthcare, education and development.
“Every child from zero to 12 months must be registered under the National Population Commission. With the E-registration, their data will be collected right from birth, and that is the way forward,” the governor stated.
He urged local government chairmen to take the campaign to their communities, noting that accurate population data is essential for effective service delivery.
UNICEF Lagos Field Office Chief, Celine Lafoucriere praised the state government’s commitment, saying birth registration gives children a legal identity and access to basic services. She warned that unregistered children become “invisible” and face barriers to healthcare and schooling.
“Without a birth certificate, a child cannot access healthcare properly, cannot enroll in school, and cannot get social services. They are invisible. And we know what happens to invisible children,” Lafoucriere said.
Lafoucriere said Lagos already has a 94% registration rate for children under five but must reach those in informal and hard-to-access communities. UNICEF is supporting the registration of 3.69 million children under one across 15 states, including 545,000 in Lagos this year.
Sanwo-Olu thanked partners for their collaboration and said the initiative positions Lagos to become the first state to achieve complete birth registration coverage.
