The Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Directorate, Mrs Acharu Opaluwa says the agency has begun e-Birth Registration, Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) Campaign in the FCT.
Opaluwa made this known at a news conference to mark the commencement of the campaign on Monday in Abuja.
The conference with the theme, “Without a Birth Certificate, the Naming Ceremony is Not Complete” was organised in collaboration with National Population Commission (NPC), Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON-FCT), and UNICEF.
According to Opaluwa, the initiative is designed to ensure that every child born in the FCT is registered and recognised as a citizen of Nigeria.
“Birth registration is the first legal acknowledgement of a child’s existence. It is the foundation upon which all other rights are built. Yet, in our country today, too many children remain unregistered.
“This lack of legal identity denies them access to essential services such as healthcare, education, and social protection.”
According to her, to address this challenge, the NPC, with support from UNICEF, developed a Social and Behaviour Change Strategy to promote awareness and encourage positive behaviour towards birth registration nationwide.
She said the e-Birth Registration and SBC Campaign seeks to mobilise communities, empower families, and strengthen partnerships among key institutions to ensure that no child is left unregistered.
“Through this initiative, we aim to foster a deeper understanding that birth registration is not merely an administrative process, it is a right, a responsibility, and an act of nation-building,” Opaluwa said.
She further explained that the overall goal of the campaign was to increase public awareness, stakeholder participation, and community action towards achieving universal birth registration across the six Area Councils of the FCT.
Opaluwa said this could be achieved through education of parents and caregivers, mobilisation of traditional, religious, and community leaders, and strengthened collaboration among NOA, NPC, and ALGON-FCT.
According to her, other areas through which it could be achieved are, to leverage media and community, monitor and evaluate progress in order to guide continuous improvement.
“This campaign will be implemented across all six Area Councils of Abaji, Kwali, Kuje, Gwagwalada, Bwari, and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) through a series of structured activities.
“The collaboration of our committed partners; NPC, UNICEF and ALGON-FCT underscores the power of partnership in driving sustainable change.
“Birth registration is more than a statistic. It is a statement of identity, belonging, and opportunity. Every child registered is a child recognised, protected, and empowered to reach their full potential.
“As the FCT leads by example, I call on all stakeholders, government institutions, traditional and religious leaders, the media, and the general public to join hands with us in this noble cause.
“Together, we can ensure that every child counts, every voice is heard, and every life is acknowledged,” Opaluwa stressed.
Meanwhile, the NPC Controller at AMAC, Juliet Ukauwa said the Commission has staff in all the six Area Councils of the FCT and are ready to cover the areas, including hard to reach locations.
She also explained that over 360 staff have been trained by NPC and ALGON-FCT to handle the e-Birth Registration and SBC Campaign in the FCT.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that officials from NOA FCT Directorate, NPC, ALGON-FCT and other stakeholders attended the conference. (NAN)