The National Population Commission, says no fewer than 127,305 childbirths were registered and issued with a birth certificate from January to November 2021 in Gombe state.
Speaking in Gombe on Tuesday, Adedeji Adeniyi, the Head of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics of the NPC noted that there is a chunk of children not registered without a birth certificate in the country.
Adeniyi said, “It is not enough for any parent to bring a child into the world and not register that child. To you, he or she is existing, but is he or she existing to the government? no.
“Whenever you give birth to a child take the next step after the christening to obtain a birth certificate. Gombe has so far registered 37,870 children under one year. Also, a total of 68,727 children under-five years were registered as well as 20,708 children above 18 years.”
The NPC official explained that government can only plan for registered children.
Commenting on the situation in Gombe state, Mr Adedeji noted that the state is not doing badly in terms of birth registration. However, he stated that there is room for improvement.
Copyright PUNCH.
