By Henry Obetta
The Lagos State Government, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, the National Population Commission, NPC, and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, on Thursday launched E-Birth Registration Initiative to ensure that every child born in the state is officially captured in the national database.
The initiative was launched as part of efforts to strengthen child protection and improve planning through accurate data collection.
Speaking at the event, Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for his administration’s strong support for child registration and digital data systems.
She said birth registration is more than paperwork, describing it as an important tool for giving every child a legal identity and access to essential services such as healthcare and education.
Lafoucriere said “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,”
She noted that Lagos State currently leads the country with about 94% of children under five already registered, but added that more effort is needed to reach children in informal unreachable and communities.
According to her, UNICEF is supporting the registration of 3.69 million children under one year across 15 states, with Lagos targeting 545,000 children this year.
She urged government agencies, local councils, traditional and religious leaders, the media, and civil society groups to work together to ensure every child is registered.
“Today is not just a launch; it is about accountability. Every stakeholder must play their part so that no child is left out,” she said.
In his address, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the E-birth registration will make it easier to capture children’s data from birth and link it with their National Identification Number (NIN).
“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.
Sanwo-Olu said accurate population data would help government plan better for healthcare, education, and development.
“Government can use this data to plan, to support development, and to know where each and every one of us lives. That is why all local government chairmen are here to take this message to their communities,” he added.
The governor commended UNICEF, NPC, ALGON, and other partners for their collaboration, stressing that the new digital system will make Lagos the first state in the country to achieve complete birth registration coverage.
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