Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has launched the electronic Birth Registration (e-Birth Registration) exercise in the state, describing it as a historic milestone in ensuring that every child is recognized and counted from birth.
The formal launch, held on Thursday at the Continental Event Centre in Katsina, was attended by top government officials, traditional and religious leaders, local government chairmen, and representatives of development partners, including UNICEF and the National Population Commission (NPC).
Governor Radda said the initiative represents a transformative step towards ensuring that no child in Katsina remains invisible—legally, socially, or statistically. He emphasized that birth registration is a child’s first legal recognition and the foundation for accessing education, healthcare, and social protection.
“Without it, 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,” he said.
Radda announced that all ward and village heads across the 34 Local Government Areas of the state would now serve as permanent birth registration centres to ensure accessibility and sustainability.
He also revealed plans to make birth certificates mandatory for access to education and healthcare services in the state.
“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.”
The governor commended the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development, the NPC, ALGON, and UNICEF for their partnership in making the project possible. He urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, and local government chairmen to sensitize residents and ensure effective implementation of the exercise.
To encourage participation, Radda also announced a competition among local governments and wards, with rewards for the best-performing areas.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Girl Child Education and Development, Jamila Abdu Mani, described the initiative as a landmark in the history of child protection and governance in Katsina. She praised the governor’s commitment to inclusive development and protection of children’s rights.
The Director-General of the NPC, Dr. Kelsen Osifo Ojogun, described the launch as a major step in Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) modernization agenda, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope vision.
He highlighted the advantages of the digital system, which provides real-time, secure, and tamper-proof data that integrates with national identification frameworks.
According to the Katsina State Director of the NPC, Usman Saidu, the state has achieved full digitization in birth registration, rising from 180,901 manual registrations in 2021 to over 566,000 digital registrations in 2025. Each registered child now automatically receives a National Identification Number (NIN) or tracking ID, he said.
ALGON’s National Chairman, Engr. Bello Lawal Kaita, and UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer for Kano, Mr. Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, also lauded the governor’s leadership and reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the exercise.
The Katsina State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Muntari Tsagem, called on parents to take the exercise seriously, stressing that registering children at birth ensures their right to identity and future opportunities.
Dignitaries at the event included the Chief Judge of Katsina State, Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar; Grand Khadi of Katsina; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir; Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Fadila Muhammed Dikko; Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Sani Magaji Gafia; traditional rulers, and local government chairmen.
