The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over the growing number of children in Nigeria without any form of identification. This issue poses a significant challenge to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 16, which aims for universal legal identity by 2030.
Celine Lafoucriere, the Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office for South West Nigeria, addressed this concern during a two-day media dialogue in Lagos focused on promoting electronic birth registration in the region. The event, titled “Giving Every Child a Legal Identity,” was organized in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Youth & Social Development and the National Population Commission (NPC).
Lafoucriere stressed the importance of ensuring that every child has the right to identification, noting that without it, children essentially become invisible. She emphasized that electronic registration can provide essential data for effective planning, highlighting that adequate statistics are crucial for government initiatives aimed at children.
Sadiku Bamidele, the Lagos State Director of the NPC, echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that the primary goal of the registration process is to eliminate issues related to duplicate registrations and to ensure every child has a recognized identity. He also called for increased awareness around birth registration and community involvement, urging all stakeholders to collaborate for effective implementation.
