NOA sensitises Kaduna communities on birth registration

The National Orientation Agency (NOA), with support from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), has sensitised 60 communities in six local government areas of Kaduna State on the need to register their newborns.

The local government areas are Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Jema’a, Igabi, Sabon Gari and Chikun.

Speaking at a media briefing to report the conduct of the community re-orientation and grassroots dialogue on an increased birth registration in the selected communities, the NOA state director, Zubair GaladimaSoba, said the outcome of the community dialogue on the importance of birth registration in February was successful.

He said 10 communities were reached in each of the selected local government areas, which include semi-urban and rural communities, adding that 2,400 community members benefitted from the campaign.

Galadima-Soba explained that community members were enlightened on the benefits of birth registration, locations of the National Population Commission (NPC) registration points and were encouraged to become birth registration champions in their communities.

Also speaking, a child protection specialist in the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Dr William Mamah, said birth registration was the foundation of rights without which a child would not be accounted for as it was linked to legal identification. He added that there was development implication of not registering a newborn as the child might not enjoy the rights and dignity it deserves.