By Abimbola Ogunnaike
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed that it is targeting one million children for digital birth registration in Kano State this year.
The UNICEF Chief Field Officer in the state, Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, made this disclosure during a meeting with Kano stakeholders on digital birth registration in Kano.
Represented by Michael Banda, he said birth registration had been given great priority in the sustainable development goals, describing registration of children under the age of five as a major tool in protecting children and their rights.
He noted that though Nigeria has made progress in birth registration, a lot needed to be done in ensuring that children under five were being registered.
“According to the multiple indicator cluster survey (MICS) 2021, only 33 percent of these registered children have a birth certificate,” he said.