A new report from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) highlights a significant crisis, noting that approximately 3.5 million infants across the South-West states and Edo State remain unregistered. This lack of legal documentation leaves these children virtually invisible to the state, creating barriers to essential services like healthcare, education, and social support.
Celine Lafoucriere, the Chief of the UNICEF Lagos Field Office, emphasized that birth registration serves as a child’s foundational right. During a media dialogue hosted by the National Population Commission (NPC) and UNICEF, she explained that unregistered children are often excluded from government planning and funding, as authorities lack accurate data regarding their existence.
The barriers to registration include low awareness among parents, limited access to digital infrastructure, and geographical isolation. While some parents intend to register their children, they often encounter logistical difficulties. UNICEF is actively collaborating with the Nigerian government to modernize the digital registration process and increase accessibility in remote regions.
Abiola Kekere-Ekun, the Lagos State Director of the NPC, urged the media to push for better public understanding, stressing that reliable data is vital for effective governance. Additionally, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist Denis Onoise noted that while 24.8 million children under five have been registered nationwide, the struggle to capture newborns remains a priority. The agency is now pushing for closer integration between birth certificates and the National Identification Number (NIN) to bolster legal protections for all Nigerian minors.
