The National Population Commission (NPC) in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) said it has modernised the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system to improve its registration rate, with the aim of achieving her yearly targets.
The Federal Commissioner representing Benue, and overseeing Nasarawa state, Barr. Patricia Kupchi, disclosed this on Thursday in Lafia during a press conference to create awareness on the importance of birth registration.
Kupchi said based on UNICEF recommendations, Nasarawa state’s target for 2024 birth registration is 189, 000 and so far, 54 percent of the target has been achieved.
The federal commissioner, who was represented by Mrs. Priscilla Yohanna Jaggu, Nasarawa state Director of NPC, said “So far Nasarawa state has achieved 102,000 out of 189,000 set target by UNICEF.”
She equally observed the benefits in child registration, which according to her, “will secure a child’s identity, nationality and name. It will also ease access to health care and good education, help in national planning, as well as to obtain a good job in the public sector.”
She also revealed that NPC has gone digital in every aspect, as 535 adhoc staff have been recruited and trained based on locality and community they come from to register children from 0-5.
Speaking, the Nasarawa State Director, Dr. Precilla Goanduoalor, called on residents to respond to campaign accordingly. ” I am calling on you to take your wards for registration from 0-5 years old.
“It is necessary for this to hold so that government will not be blamed for necessary facilities such as schools, hospitals. The message here is that NOA is partnering with NPC,” she said.