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), officially launched the E-Birth Registration initiative.
This is even as the governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, made a bold pledge of achieving 100 percent birth registration across the state by the end of his tenure.
The event, marked a shift from manual processes to a fully digital system designed to capture every birth in real time.
“No child born on the soil of Lagos should ever be invisible,” Sanwo-Olu declared, emphasizing that the new platform eliminates bureaucratic delays, with certificates issued within 72 hours.
Health facilities are mandated to integrate registration into immunization visits, schools must require certificates for enrollment, and local governments must fund logistics for registrars.
Sanwo-Olu elevated the mandate, declaring birth registration a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for all 20 Local government chairmen. “Budget for it, deploy it, monitor it,” he instructed, warning that underperformance would not be tolerated.
The E-Birth system works seamlessly. Births are captured via tablets at delivery points, synced to a central dashboard, validated by NPC, and linked to the National Identity Number (NIN) for lifelong use. “This is accountability in action,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community groups were urged to mobilize grassroots awareness. Parents were reminded that registration is free, fast, and non-negotiable for their child’s future, from inheritance rights to formal banking. “Preach it from palaces and pulpits,” Sanwo-Olu said.
Lagos already leads Nigeria with 94 percent of children under five registered, a feat UNICEF Lagos field office, chief Celine Lafoucriere praised as evidence of inspired leadership.
However, Lafoucriere noted that thousands in hard-to-reach communities, informal settlements, and low-income families remain unregistered, denying them access to healthcare, education, and social services.
The 2025 target is ambitious: registering 545,000 children under one year old, the largest state-level goal in a national campaign to cover 3.69 million children across 15 priority states. “Targets don’t register children, people do,” Lafoucriere said, issuing a direct charge to stakeholders.
UNICEF has trained registrars across all LGAs and equipped health centers with devices. Lafoucriere confirmed that last year, Lagos registered nearly 600,000 children under similar timelines and exceeded targets. With digital infrastructure now in place, she expressed confidence in surpassing 545,000 in 2025.
