Due to the lack of assistance from the previous government, about 80% of children in Edo State between the ages of 0 and 5 may not be recorded in the current nationwide computerized birth registration scheme.
The Nigerian Population Commission set a goal to register 167,356 children in Edo state by 2024 in collaboration with UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund. It was determined that less than 20% of children aged 0 to 5 would not be registered in the final days of the program, which is set to conclude countrywide on December 31, 2024.
According to the survey, which began on July 29, 2024, only roughly 33,474 kids, or 20% of the total, had been registered while about 133,882 others may not be registered in the state.
In August of last year, 967 staff members were educated by the National Population Commission (NPC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to register under-5 children electronically.
However, sources stated that the low membership percentage in the state was a significant setback for the exercise, pointing out that Edo has yet to reach 20% while other states have nearly reached their goals. Dr. Tony Ayejina, National Commissioner of the National Population Commission, or NPC, for Edo, spoke about the trend and attributed it to the state’s immediate prior government’s lack of support. He claims that the election has made the Edo case clear.
The whole of August and September was used for electioneering and former Governor Godwin Obaseki used that as an excuse not to even listen to anybody or give any support expected of him like it had happened in other places.
“We waited till the new government was sworn in on Nov 12. Even at that, the man has not settled down to give us attention.
“I was in Edo to set a template to rip off the process. We are getting close to 20 per cent which is not a pass mark,” he said.
Ayejina explained that his efforts to enlist the support of the Local Government Chairmen to drive the exercise yielded no result.
He also alleged that the Chairman of the state chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, has been evasive.
“The Commissioner for Local Government has not been appointed, they asked me to see the Permanent Secretary in the ministry. The Permanent Secretary wrote a letter to all the local government councils but that has not yielded anything too.
“The 192 councillors we have in Edo ought to make it a responsibility and join but that is not the case. I presented all the necessary information and papers to the ALGON chairman in Edo, yet no desired results,” he stated.
Ayejina opined that with the low enrollment, children in the state would be left out of the planning of the Federal Government and UNICEF.
“Our people should know the implications of what we are doing. If there is no census, it is this survey and other things that we do, that the government will use for planning purposes.
“Every child must have a legal identity. if they do not have an electronically generated birth certificate, they don’t have legal status.
“I did jingles, I went to the Edo Broadcasting Service, EBS. I used my personal money just for a few airing. No money to do additional ones.
“In other states, they do pro bono services for this kind of thing.
“UNICEF is paying N300 per registration for ad-hoc staff, but unfortunately, this amount does not resonate with the Edo people.
“In the North, the government augmented and they paid double and everybody does this thing with excitement. Some have attained 100 per cent completion.
“We have till Dec 31, but beyond that, Edo can ask for an extension so that children can be registered,” he added.
He, however, urged Governor Monday Okpebholo to urgently look into the commission’s request so that the state would not be left out in the scheme of things.
He said there was a request before the government, noting that with the Governor’s commitment to support the programme, the state could request an extension to reach its target in the important children registration exercise.
