Birth, Death Registration: House Urges FG, States, LG to join Sensitization of Nigerians

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The House of Representatives has urged the federal, state and local governments as well as traditional and religious leaders to join in the sensitisation of the public on the importance of birth and death registration in enhancing national planning. 

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on the need to Increase Awareness of Birth Registration in Nigeria moved by Hon. Bashiru Dawodu, at plenary presided by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, yesterday.

Dawodu noted that the National Population Commission (NPC) has only managed to register the birth of 57 percent of children under the age of five, thus making it difficult for government to plan adequately for their medical, nutritional and other needs.

He added that the federal government needed to know how many health centres are needed in the country and the population growth across the country to correctly estimate the medications to be imported and the tariffs.

The lawmaker raised concern that a country without credible statistics could not progress as registration of birth is the most basic requirement in planning for children.

He explained that when a country failed to follow through with an established pattern, the young ones would be exposed to dangers that the public health and economic planning teams could not cope with.

He said: “Knowing the age distribution of a country’s population makes it easier to plan, knowing how many would be of school age in what year, providing adequate classrooms and school infrastructure.

“After 60 years of independence, Nigeria still does not have a reliable census figure for its children.”

The House, however, mandated its Committee on Population and Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values to ensure compliance.