Katsina to make birth certificate compulsory for school, healthcare access

The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has said the presentation of birth certificates will soon be mandatory to access public education and healthcare services in the state.

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Mr Radda stated this on Thursday at the launch of the electronic birth registration (e-birth registration) exercise in the state.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Continental Event Centre, Katsina, the governor described the e-birth registration exercise as a transformative step toward ensuring that every child in the state is officially recognised and protected from birth.

“This exercise is not just a formality. It is a decisive action to make sure no child in Katsina grows up invisible — legally, socially, or statistically,” Mr Radda said.

He emphasised that birth registration remains the first legal recognition of a child’s identity and a gateway to education, healthcare, and other essential services.

“Without it, a child exists in the shadows, vulnerable to exploitation and deprivation. Registering your child costs nothing but a few minutes of your time, yet it opens the door to a lifetime of opportunities,” the governor added.

Mr Radda said every ward and village across Katsina’s 34 local government areas will now serve as permanent registration centres, to ensure accessibility and community ownership.

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The governor commended the National Population Commission (NPC), UNICEF, the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development, and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) for partnering with the state government to make the digital rollout possible.

To encourage grassroots participation, Mr Radda said the government will introduce a competition among local governments and wards for the best-performing areas in the e-birth registration exercise.

UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer in Kano, Rahama Farah, hailed the initiative as a model of community-driven development and reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring that every child in Katsina is registered and recognised.

NPC Director-General, Kelsen Ojogun, described the digital platform as part of Nigeria’s modernisation agenda for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), noting that it integrates seamlessly with national systems such as the National Identification Number (NIN).

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Katsina’s NPC Director, Usman Saidu, revealed that the state has recorded over 566,000 digital registrations in 2025 — a sharp rise from 180,901 manually registered births in 2021.

He attributed the progress to strong collaboration between the state government, NPC, UNICEF, ALGON, and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The event drew key dignitaries, including the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Musa Abubakar; ALGON National Chairperson, Bello Lawal Kaita; traditional rulers; and local government chairpersons.