Lagos launches E-Birth registration initiative to capture every child in national database
Lagos State, in partnership with UNICEF, the National Population Commission (NPC), and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), on Thursday launched an E-Birth Registration Initiative aimed at ensuring that every child born in the state is officially registered in the national database.
The program is part of efforts to strengthen child protection and improve planning through accurate population data. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said the initiative will enable children’s data to be captured from birth and linked with their National Identification Number (NIN), making it easier for the government to plan for healthcare, education, and development.
“Every child from zero to 12 months must be registered under the National Population Commission. With the E-registration, their data will be collected right from birth, and that is the way forward,” the governor stated. He added that accurate population data will allow authorities to know the distribution of citizens and better plan community services.
Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, praised the state government for supporting digital child registration, stressing that birth registration is critical for giving every child a legal identity and access to essential services. “Without a birth certificate, a child cannot access healthcare properly, cannot enroll in school, and cannot get social services. They are invisible. And we know what happens to invisible children,” she said.
Lafoucriere noted that Lagos currently leads the country with about 94% of children under five registered, but emphasized the need to reach children in informal and hard-to-reach communities. UNICEF is supporting the registration of 3.69 million children under one year across 15 states, with Lagos targeting 545,000 children this year.
The governor commended UNICEF, NPC, ALGON, and other partners for their collaboration, noting that the new digital system will make Lagos the first state in Nigeria to achieve complete birth registration coverage.
