NPC to leverage civil birth registration, surveys for inclusive data

The National Population Commission (NPC) has expressed its commitment to nation-building by ensuring that data systems capture the full range of human diversity so that everyone can be seen, exercise their human rights and reach their full potential.

The Federal Commissioner of the National Population Commission in Cross River State, Rt. Hon. Alex Ukam emphasized the importance of accurate Civil Registration of Vital Statistics (CRVS), as well as conducting frequent censuses and surveys to gather timely, reliable, and inclusive data. This is crucial for effective development planning aimed at promoting resilience and fairness for all citizens in Cross River State and across Nigeria.

According to him: “It is against this background that the Commission at the state level is aggressively pursuing the tool of birth registration to ensure the legal recognition of every child’s existence and total upscale of birth registration with focus on Hard–to-Reach areas in Cross River State.

“Significant progress is being made in birth registration through our collaboration with the Primary Healthcare Centres across the state but noticeable gaps still exist particularly in hard-to-reach communities and new settlements which serve as serious setbacks.

“Therefore, the World Population Day 2024 presents an opportunity to ask who is still going uncounted, its implication on the individuals, society, state and nation as well as the global efforts of not leaving anyone behind,” he said.

During his speech, Mr. Andrew Kirima, the programme officer of the United Nations Fund, UNFPA, stated that they have made significant progress in addressing population issues through a data-driven approach, even though there is still some inconsistency in their results.

Girima maintained that timely censuses will provide the baseline data needed to track our progress toward the SDGs and to formulate policies that address the diverse needs of our population

“Moreover, new, and innovative data generation and analysis tools have the potential to reveal previously hidden issues and offer a comprehensive view of people’s experiences. It is essential that our data generation exercises are prioritised and conducted timely and regularly, but also respectful of individual rights and accurately reflect the multifaceted experiences of all people.”

He called on all stakeholders to build a resilient and equitable future, by prioritising investment in comprehensive population data systems, ensuring safe and inclusive data collection, collaborating with marginalised communities, leveraging technology responsibly, and supporting the national census.

“UNFPA stands ready to support the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cross River State, National Population Commission and other stakeholders to harness the power of inclusive data to build resilient systems and societies.”

Flagging off the roadshow and advocacy campaign, Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Rt Hon Peter Odey emphasized the importance of the government having an accurate count of its citizens in order to effectively plan for their needs.

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