Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has launched the state’s electronic birth registration (e-birth registration) exercise, describing it as a decisive step toward ensuring that every child in Katsina is officially recognized from birth.
Speaking during the official flag-off on Thursday at the Continental Event Centre, Katsina, Mr Radda said the initiative will make birth certificates mandatory for children to access education and healthcare services across the state.
“This exercise is not merely symbolic but transformative,” the governor said. “Without birth registration, a child exists in the shadows—vulnerable to exclusion, exploitation and deprivation. Registering a child costs nothing but secures a lifetime of rights and opportunities.”
He announced that every ward and village in the 34 local government areas of the state will now serve as permanent birth registration centres. According to him, the decentralisation will ensure accessibility, cultural acceptance, and sustainability of the exercise at the community level.
The e-birth registration system, jointly implemented with the National Population Commission (NPC) and supported by UNICEF, replaces the manual paper-based system and allows real-time digital data capture.
The Director-General of the NPC, Kelsen Osifo Ojogun, said the transition aligns with Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) modernisation agenda and President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope vision. He noted that the digital platform integrates with the National Identification Number (NIN) database and other national systems.
Mr Ojogun disclosed that 361 ward-level registrars have been trained to support full coverage across Katsina communities, despite challenges such as network instability and infrastructure costs.
The NPC’s Katsina State Director, Usman Saidu, said the state recorded over 566,000 digital birth registrations in 2025, up from 180,901 manual entries in 2021. Each registered child now automatically receives a NIN or tracking ID.
UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer in Kano, Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, praised the Katsina government for adopting a community-driven approach and pledged continued partnership to ensure that every child is registered and protected from birth.
Mr Radda also announced plans to introduce a local government–level performance competition to promote accountability and reward areas achieving the highest registration coverage.
He commended the Department of Girl Child Education and Development, ALGON, and other partners for their contributions, describing the initiative as a major milestone in child protection and inclusive governance.
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