Declares Ward and Village Heads as Major Birth Registration Centres, Says Birth Certificate Will Soon Be Mandatory for Access to Education and Healthcare Services
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has launched the electronic Birth Registration (e-Birth Registration) Exercise in Katsina State, describing it as a historic milestone in the state’s efforts to ensure that every child is recognized, protected, and counted from birth.
The formal launch, held today at the Continental Event Centre in Katsina, brought together key national and state stakeholders, including the Chief Judge of Katsina State, Hon. Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar; the Director-General of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr. Kelsen Osifo Ojogun; representatives of UNICEF; the National Chairman and State Chairman of ALGON; representatives of the Emirs of Katsina and Daura; traditional and religious leaders; local government chairmen; and development partners.
In his remarks, Governor Radda said the e-Birth Registration initiative represents more than a ceremonial event, describing it as a decisive and transformative step toward ensuring that no child in Katsina State remains invisible—legally, socially, or statistically.
He emphasized that birth registration is the first legal recognition of a child’s identity and the foundation for accessing education, healthcare, social protection, and civic participation. “Without it,” he said, “a child exists in the shadows—vulnerable to exploitation, exclusion, and deprivation. For too long, millions of Nigerian children have grown up without this fundamental recognition. This is not just a systemic failure but a moral deficit we must correct.”
Governor Radda reaffirmed that under his administration, birth registration has become a key pillar of child protection and inclusive governance.
He announced that every Ward and Village across the 34 Local Government Areas of Katsina State will now serve as permanent Birth Registration Centres.
“This strategic decision embeds the registration process at the very heart of our communities, ensuring accessibility, cultural acceptance, and long-term sustainability,” he said.
The Governor further revealed that soon, birth certificates will be made mandatory for accessing essential government services such as education and healthcare.
“To parents, registering your child costs nothing but a few minutes of your time, yet it opens the door to a lifetime of rights and opportunities,” he said. “We are building a state where governance begins at birth, and justice begins with identity.”
He commended the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development for its leadership; the National Population Commission for its technical expertise; ALGON for grassroots mobilization; and UNICEF for its steadfast partnership and provision of digital tools. “Together, you have laid the foundation for a birth registration system that is not only functional but transformative,” he added.
Governor Radda also called on traditional and religious leaders to champion the exercise and educate parents, while urging Local Government Chairmen to ensure that ward registrars are properly trained, equipped, and supervised.
To promote accountability and community participation, the Governor announced a competition among Local Governments and Wards, with recognition for the best-performing areas in the e-Birth Registration exercise.
In her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Girl Child Education and Development, Jamila Abdu Mani, described the launch as a landmark in the history of child protection and governance in Katsina State. She praised Governor Radda’s visionary leadership and commitment to inclusive development, describing him as “a compassionate leader whose policies ensure that every child, boy or girl, is protected, educated, and given an identity from birth.”
She also paid tribute to the Governor’s royal heritage, linking his values of service and justice to the legacy of his grandfather, the late Emir Muhammad Dikko.
The Director-General of the National Population Commission, Dr. Kelsen Osifo Ojogun, described the launch as a transformative milestone in Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) modernization agenda, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope vision.
Dr. Ojogun highlighted the limitations of the old paper-based registration system and commended the new digital platform for offering secure, real-time, and tamper-proof data capture that integrates with national frameworks like NIMC and the banking sector.
He applauded Katsina State’s proactive collaboration and revealed that 361 ward-level registrars have been trained to ensure coverage across all communities. While acknowledging challenges such as network instability and infrastructure costs, he called for sustained cooperation through public-private partnerships.
Presenting the progress report, the Katsina State Director of the NPC Usman Saidu disclosed that the state has achieved remarkable progress in digital birth registration, increasing from 180,901 manually registered births in 2021 to over 566,000 digital registrations in 2025, marking full digitization.
He attributed the success to strong partnerships among the NPC, UNICEF, ALGON, and NIMC, with each registered child now automatically receiving a National Identification Number (NIN) or tracking ID.
In his goodwill message, the National Chairman of ALGON, Engr. Bello Lawal Kaita, described the initiative as one of the most important collaborations between local governments and development partners. He praised Governor Radda’s people-centered leadership and reaffirmed ALGON’s commitment to promoting good governance and accountability at the grassroots.
Speaking on behalf of UNICEF, Mr. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, Chief Field Officer of the UNICEF Kano Field Office, commended Governor Radda for his leadership and commitment to children’s welfare. He said the launch reflects the success of a sustainable, community-driven model of birth registration and pledged UNICEF’s continued partnership to ensure that every child in Katsina is registered and recognized from birth.
Also speaking, the Katsina State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Muntari Tsagem, urged parents to take the exercise seriously, stressing that registering a child at birth secures their right to identity and access to future opportunities.
Those in attendance included the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir; Chief Judge of Katsina State, Hon. Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar; Grand Khadi of Katsina; Special Adviser on Chieftaincy Affairs, Usman Abba Jaye; representatives of the Katsina and Daura Emirates; Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Sani Magaji Gafia; Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Fadila Muhammed Dikko; local government chairmen; district heads; community leaders; and E-Registrars.
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