The National Population Commission (NPC) records 420,000 births in Gom
Between January and November, the Nigeria Population Commission documented 424,302 births in Gombe State. Out of this total, 187,283 or 44.13 percent were girls, while 237,019 or 55.86 percent were boys. Mr. Adedeji Adeniyi, the head of NPC’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Gombe State, provided these details on Friday in Gombe. The registrations were conducted in over 100 registration centers across the state and included children aged between 0 and 17 years.
Of the registered individuals, he specified that 76,900 were infants below the age of one year, with 33,760 being girls and 43,140 boys.
In the age group of one to four years, there were a total of 285,010 individuals, comprising 125,230 girls and 159,780 boys.
The count for children aged four to 17 years reached 62,392, with 28,293 girls and 34,099 boys.
Adeniyi mentioned that the NPC has intensified efforts and collaborated with key stakeholders in the state to promote birth registration.
He explained that, in collaboration with UNICEF, the NPC had transitioned from the analog method of birth registration to a digital platform. This shift from analog to electronic registration has streamlined the birth registration process. Adeniyi urged residents who have not yet registered their births to take this step, emphasizing that birth registration data is crucial for government planning and intervention.
Adeniyi emphasized the significance of birth registration and certification in providing children with identity, nationality, and access to social amenities. However, he expressed concern about the inadequate registration of deaths in the state.
He lamented that Gombe residents tend to neglect registering the death of their loved ones until they need specific benefits that necessitate such certificates. Adeniyi appealed to residents to proactively register the deaths of their relatives, emphasizing that this practice would enable the government to make informed decisions and proper plans regarding events in the environment.
"Recording deaths provides insight into the prevalent causes of mortality, and these statistics are crucial for the planning process as well," he remarked.
The National Population Commission reports a 57 percent digital birth registration accomplishment across 23 states. In an interview last October, Sunday Matthew, the Director of Vital Registration at NPC, emphasized the importance of parents registering their children at birth.
He stated, "We have been engaging with parents, particularly mothers, stressing the importance of registering their children at birth. We are in the process of automating childbirth registration procedures to eliminate any instances of double registration."
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