Rivers State Government has said it will partner with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to ensure full birth registration in the state.
The Secretary to the State Government, Mr Kenneth Kobani said this while declaring open a one-day UNICEF NPOPC stakeholder strategic meeting for media campaign on birth registration in Rivers State.
The Secretary to the State Government who was represented by Mr Godswill Allison said the present administration attaches importance to birth registration.
While commending UNICEF for promoting birth registration in the state, Mr Kobani expressed hopes that policymakers would key into the programme to implement birth registration policy in the state.
Also speaking the Federal Commissioner representing the state at the National Population Commission, Mrs Gloria Izofua, said birth registration was fundamental to the realisation of children’s right to a nationality and practical needs such as school enrolment at the right age, obtaining a passport, opening a bank account, voting and seeking employment.
Represented by the state co-ordinator of the National Population Commission (NPOPC), Mr Jumbobaraye Miller Daka, she regretted that the coverage for birth registration in Rivers State was low.
According to her, current campaign by UNICEF and other stakeholders should be approached with the seriousness it deserved adding that there is need for all stakeholders to throw in their support in areas of advocacy, publicity and data processing with a view to scaling up collective response to birth registration and improve the current coverage until all children born in Rivers State have their births registered.
Also speaking, the child protection officer, UNICEF Mrs Sharon Oludej said birth registration was needed in planning for children.
