Nigerian government has revealed the only authorized place to obtain birth certificate, adding that all other sources of obtaining birth certificates are illegal.
On Wednesday, the Federal Government through the National Population Commission (NPC) cautioned citizens from obtaining birth certificates from unauthorised places including the local government areas across the country.
The federal commissioner of NPC representing Ekiti, Ayodeji Ajayi, who spoke with newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital on Wednesday noted that it is only the certificate obtained from the offices of the commission across the country that is legal and acceptable, calling on the people to desist from patronizing other places in their own interest.
Ajayi who spoke on the occasion of the 2022 Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) day themed, ‘Harnessing Coordination, Country Leadership and Ownership to Strengthen Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Systems: A Vehicle for Counting Everyone’ explained that it is imperative for the people to embrace, “ timely registration of vital events, particularly births and deaths, through well-functioning civil registration systems.”
Represented by the NPC state director, Samuel Adeyanju, the federal commissioner noted that the commission was committed to ensuring effective data gathering for the use of government, organizations, and interested individuals in the country.
He added that the ongoing review of the current Births and Deaths Compulsory Act 1992 when completed would help to centralize the registrations and legally removed the local government areas from issuing certificates to the people.
Ajayi said, “ It is important to let our people know that the birth certificate from the local government areas is not acceptable and people should know that it is only the NPC that is saddled with the responsibility of giving people birth and death certificate.
“We have about 91 offices across Ekiti for people to go in obtaining the certificate. Any individuals below 18 years old should go to our offices in their respective areas and as well health centres, while those above 18 will be required to come down to our headquarters.”
Speaking on the CVRS day celebration, the commissioner who said the theme of this year’s celebration across many African countries was apt in a bid to strengthen collaboration with critical stakeholders for civil registration and vital statistics systems.
Reiterating the commitment of the commission to the successful conduct of the population census in 2023, he solicited the supports of stakeholders in the country towards delivering acceptable and detailed census next year.
According to him, “By setting aside one day of the year as Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day, we are saying that civil registration (deaths & births) process with specific focus on birth/death registration especially of new-born children must get the attention it deserves as a demonstration of our political commitment at the country level, and we are committed to taking our civil registration system to a higher level.
“As we celebrate this year’s CRVS day, it needs to be restated that vital registration is not only important to the individual to achieve full legal status, it is, equally significantly, a veritable source of statistical data for effective planning for sustainable national development. It is our expectation that data generated from the forthcoming 2023 Population and Housing Census will provide a platform for a sound CVRS system in Nigeria.”
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