VOA charity tasks FG on child births’ database

A Non-Governmental Organisation, Values of Affordable Education Charity (VOA), has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish an internal database for child birth registration in the country.

The Founder, Dr. Olabisi Adekoya, criticized the Government’s reliance on child birth data generated by foreign organizations.

Dr. Adekoya described this reliance as unnecessary and disparaging, assuring that the country could achieve better outcomes by developing its own independent data system through intentional efforts.

According to her, independent data reflects the country’s level of existence and functionality, and is crucial for informing policy formation and provision.

VOA suggested a more effective approach to address this issue, advising the government to implement a centralized registration system.

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She explained that registrations at all levels—primary, secondary, and tertiary—should be incorporated into this centralized system for comprehensive management.

Dr. Adekoya noted that this would facilitate ease of access to data for everyone.

“It is disheartening that our country still relies on foreign organizations to provide information on the number of births within our borders. This situation is not only disheartening but also disparaging.

“As an organization dedicated to promoting affordable education, we strongly believe that with intentional effort from the Federal Government, we can establish our own internally generated database for child birth registration.

“This is essential for informing our policy-making, provisions, and overall national functionality.

“We therefore propose a centralized system of registration at all levels—primary, secondary, and tertiary—to enhance ease of access and availability of data,” she said.