The Women Affairs Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has enlisted traditional rulers to mobilise residents for the registration of children aged zero to five years.
The Mandate Secretary, Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, disclosed this on Monday during a social mobilisation exercise at the Palace of the Sapeyi of Garki, Alhaji Usman Nga-Kupi, in the Abuja Municipal Area Council. She said the exercise aimed to ensure that all children within the age bracket were registered and issued birth certificates as a legal means of identification.
According to Ms Benjamins-Laniyi, the initiative – supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC) and the National Orientation Agency – is designed to guarantee every child’s protection and rights. Other partners include the National Identity Management Commission, the FCT Primary Healthcare Board, FCT Area Council Secretariats, and the Association of Local Government Employees of Nigeria.
She added that the birth registration campaign is being coordinated nationwide by the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu. The mobilisation began on 28 March in the Abaji Area Council and has since been extended to the remaining area councils in the FCT. Traditional rulers across the 17 chiefdoms have offered their support and cooperation.
“Through this partnership, we have taken the message of birth registration into palaces, homes, and communities across the FCT,” Ms Benjamins-Laniyi said. “Together, under the watch of our royal fathers, we are restoring the dignity of our children by ensuring that every child is seen, counted, registered, and protected. When a child is registered, the child is recognised; and when a child is recognised, the child can thrive.”
The Director of Child Development in the secretariat, Idris Attah, said the mobilisation aimed to scale up birth registration across all FCT communities, with immediate issuance of digital birth certificates for children aged zero to one year, as well as those aged one to five years. Registration remains free for all children under five in the FCT.
UNICEF Child Protection Officer, Charles Awuna, said the exercise would ensure every child in the FCT has a legal identity. “Without a birth certificate, a child is not officially recognised as a member of the community or a citizen of the country,” he noted.
The NPC Director in the FCT, Sulaiman Gada, acknowledged that the territory had lagged behind in birth registration for children under five and commended the FCTA’s efforts. He advised caregivers not to laminate birth certificates to prevent data loss during digital processing.
In his remarks, the Sapeyi of Garki, Usman Nga-Kupi, welcomed the initiative and pledged to mobilise ward, village and district heads to ensure full compliance within his domain.
