Sharon’s husband, Ojebuovboh, went to the birth registration centre at Alimosho health centre, Lagos State, to get his in-law’s birth certificate done, but was told to pay N1,500 before he would be issued the certificate. Her husband, knowing that birth certificate is free, argued with the registrar, but didn’t win the argument.
Some days after Sharon delivered her children, she went to immunise them as well as register their birth but was told to pay N1,000 for each of her children. This discouraged her as she went home with her children, having in mind that until she has money, she would not register their births. She said: “I need a birth certificate for my four children. Since I gave birth to my firstborn, the registration center at Alimosho has been demanding money from me before they can issue a birth certificate to my children. Because of that, I have not been able to get my children’s births registered.
She said that while she was given the birth certificate, she was asked not to disclose the amount paid. Also, in Nigeria, there are provisions in the current legislation for birth registration, which is compulsory, as the Federal Government’s decree No. 69 of 1992 on vital registration provides that the registrar of births “shall upon registering a birth deliver to the informant, free of charge, a certificate of birth provided that no such certificate shall be issued in the case of a still‐born birth.
The agency also projected that with the increasing birth rate; Nigeria could hit 136 million births by 2030. Of this large population of births recorded yearly, about 17 million children are not registered. That is, they have no form of identity as a bona fide citizen of the country and in legal terms, they do not exist, as stated by UNICEF.
Reacting on the issue, the Head of Department, Vital Registration, Department National Population Commission, NPoPC Lagos State, Mr. Nwannekwu Ikechukwu, said the agency has received several reports and would penalise anyone found in the act. Speaking on illegal payment for birth registration and certificate, Ikechukwu said it is one of the challenges faced in Lagos State, noting that those who are extorted refuse to be witnesses against this act in order to help the commission sanction the culprits.
He said that these illegal fees on birth registration and certificate imposed on individuals contribute to the number of unregistered children.It was learnt that people did double birth registration due to that fact that the one issued by either the state or National Population Commission was superior to the other.
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