Kano Records 36,000 New Births with NPC in Just Nine Months, Says Authority

The National Population Commission has reported a significant milestone, with over 36,000 births registered in Kano State in just nine months since the introduction of its electronic birth registration system.

This revelation was made by Balarabe Kabir, the Kano State director of the National Population Commission, during a two-day State Refresher Training of Trainers held in Kano.

The training was a collaborative effort between the National Population Commission, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, and the National Identity Management Commission, with support from the Government of the Netherlands through the United Nations Children’s Fund.

According to Kabir, the figure of 36,000 registered births only represents a portion of the total number of children captured so far, with approximately 27,000 children under five years and over 40,000 above five years having been documented after previously being unregistered.

The training aimed to enhance the capacity of ALGON focal persons and District Civil Registrars from the 44 local government areas of the state, focusing on the use of the Vital Registration application for electronic civil registration.

Kabir announced that the commission would conduct step-down training across the 44 Local Government Areas, ultimately reaching ward registrars in the 484 wards of the state.

However, Kabir identified several challenges hindering implementation, including system downtime, login issues, delays in National Identification Number validation, and inadequate support for field registrars, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.

In response to these challenges, the director stated that the commission has engaged the Kano State Government to address these issues and scale up the exercise.

Kabir emphasized that birth registration is a fundamental right of every child, crucial for planning, security, and access to social services, and he urged stakeholders, including traditional institutions and corporate organisations, to support the commission's efforts.

Aisha Umar, a participant in the training, expressed her appreciation for the exercise, which she said had enhanced her knowledge and capacity to effectively carry out birth registration at the grassroots level.

Umar noted that the training had introduced her to modern techniques and digital tools aimed at improving the efficiency and accuracy of the registration process.

Another participant, Hadiza Sani, stated that the knowledge gained from the training would help address challenges associated with low birth registration in rural communities, and she praised the organisers for the comprehensive nature of the sessions.

Sani added that the step-down training would further strengthen awareness and compliance among residents, ultimately contributing to improved birth registration in the state.