The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has launched e-birth registration campaign for children from birth to age 17 across the 147 electoral wards in Nasarawa State.

The campaign is in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC).

Priscilla Gondualor, Nasarawa State director of NOA, while speaking during the ceremony on Thursday in Lafia, said the agency was partnering with traditional rulers to enlighten the people on the need for birth registration.

According to her, childbirth registration is a foundation for accurate population census to enable government at all levels to make adequate provision for education, health, sporting and other social facilities for the people.

Ms Gondualor said that several government facilities, particularly schools and hospitals were overstretched due to lack of accurate population figures that would guide government to make adequate provisions.

“It is critical to register children at birth to enable government at all levels to effectively plan for its citizens.

“We have influential and respected traditional rulers, who are expected in their traditional way to lead the people to mobilise and sensitise parents, and caregivers to make their children available for registration,” she said.

She explained that personnel of NPC would be available at all the polling units for the next three weeks across the state to ensure registration of children from birth to 17 years.

Ahmad-Yahaya Doma, state director of NPC, called on the people of the state to use the opportunity provided by the commission to register their children for free.

In his remarks, Justice Sidi Bage, the Emir of Lafia and chairman, Nasarawa state council of chiefs, also emphasised the importance of birth registration as a vital tool that would enable government to effectively plan for the people.

The emir gave assurances of the cooperation of the traditional institution to ensure the success of the exercise.

He urged other traditional rulers, village and district heads across the state to take the message to their domains.

“We give you our words, we will do our best using the structure that we have in place, from district head, village head to the ward head.

“We will sensitise them, we will instruct them to go deep down to carry out this important message,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Sangari of Shabu, Umar–Mahmuud Bwalla and Osakio of Owusakio, Osula Inarigu, promised to take the message to their domains for their subjects to comply.

(NAN)