The National Population Commission (NPC) in Bauchi State has registered no fewer than 73,500, 000 babies in Bauchi Local Government Area within six days of commencement of Birth Registration in the state.
A correspondent of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) monitoring the exercise in the area, reports that most of the centres are crowded with parents who had brought their children to be registered.
Statistics made available to NAN at the Town Maternity, Bayan Fadan, collation center, showed that each of the 210 ad hoc Registrars engaged by the commission had recorded at least 350 children.
It also showed that even registration centres in hard-to-reach towns like Tirwun, Gwaskwaram and others in Zungur and Galambi Districts across a river, also witnessed influx of children.
Yusuf Saka, NPC Monitor in charge of Bauchi Council Area, told NAN that in spite of little challenges, Registrars in all the nine centers for the area were doing well.
Saka said that 17 of them assigned to cover some parts of Zungur and Galambi Districts had to engage local swimmers and divers to cross rivers and streams to reach their stations.
Mallam Sani Yunusa, NPC Comptroller in charge of Bauchi Local Government Area, told NAN that enough materials had been provided for the conduct of the exercise.
“I issued 100 certificates to each Registrar during the first day of the exercise to avoid wastage and to maintain quality control of the exercise.
“I have dozens of the booklets in my car; I move from one center to another with it and give to Registrars,on request.,” said Yunusa, while refuting complaints of shortage of materials.
NAN recalled that Gov Mohammed Abubakar of the state had on Thursday, flagged-off commencement of 10-day Mass Birth Registration of children under five years in the state, aimed at collating data for development purposes.
The exercise followed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the European Union, UNICEF and the Bauchi State Government.
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