Health
Enugu, September 24, 2018, (NAN) The wife of the Enugu State Governor, Mrs Monica Ugwuanyi, on Monday flagged off a three-month media campaign aimed at promoting under-five birth registration in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the campaign, was organised by the National Population Commission (NPopC) in conjunction with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in Enugu.
Ugwuanyi represented by Mrs Onyinyechi Anichukwu, Head of Administration, Governor’s wife pet project, assured the organisers of the birth registration campaign of her unalloyed support as well as that of the state.
Ugwuanyi, who used the medium to present birth certificates to some mothers, urged them to also help to publicize the importance of birth registration to others.
The state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eze emphasized the importance of birth registration and the role his ministry would play in achieving the set target.
Represented by Dr. Vera Nwafor, a director in the ministry, the commissioner said that state owned schools and tertiary institutions would henceforth be directed to ask for NPopC’s birth certificates as a pre-requisite for admission and enrollment.
“I think if we implement this directive, it will go a long way in making parents see the importance of birth registration.
“When they realise that their children cannot be admitted without birth certificate, they will make move to get one.
“Thus increasing the rate of birth registration in the state as well as meet up with the set target,” he said.
Earlier, the State Director of NPopC in Enugu State, Mrs Ngozi Onyia, said the campaign for the promotion of birth registration in Nigeria and Enugu State especially was necessary.
According to her, a complete birth registration complements census data because birth registration is a continuous exercise.
“It also enables adequate population estimation and projection, aids statistical planning and research and for administrative purposes.”
Onyia noted that under-five children formed five per cent of an estimated 4,768,755 Enugu State population.
She said that out of the figure, the commission hoped to register a total of 137,766 children within the space of three months when the media campaign would elapse.
The State Director, therefore, urged parents to seize the opportunity to register their children and save themselves of the grave consequences that might arise now and future for not registering their children with NPopC.
She however, appealed to the media and other major stakeholders to help create awareness both in the rural and urban areas.
“Our greatest challenge as regards birth registration in Enugu State has been lack of awareness of the importance to register with the NPopC.
“Our media friends which are a part of this programme will have to help us in creating awareness and bridge the communication gap,” onyia said.
The NPopC boss commended the wife of the state governor for her continuous support for all the programmes of the commission.
She pledged that NPopC’s registration centers would be designated in hospitals, health centers, local government secretariats and all the commission’s offices across the state. (NAN)
AED/MNA
Edited by Maureen Atuonwu