By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Babatunde Hunpe |
BADAGRY, Lagos – The Badagry Local Government has fully digitized its birth registration process. The initiative, spearheaded by the Executive Chairman, Honourable Babatunde Hunpe, aims to create a central database, ensuring every child is accounted for from birth and ending the era of unregistered children in the community.
The groundbreaking digital platform was officially unveiled on Friday at the Council Chamber. Chairman Hunpe described the project as a pivotal turning point for identity management and child protection in Badagry. He emphasized that the new system is designed to capture every child born within the local government area directly into a secure national database immediately after birth. This proactive approach directly tackles the long-standing and pervasive issue of unrecorded births, which has left many without formal recognition from the state.
Hon. Hunpe directly linked the initiative to the broader "Greater Lagos Rising" agenda of the Lagos State Government, where technology is leveraged to simplify governance and guarantee universal access to essential services. He passionately encouraged parents, guardians, and caregivers across all twenty wards of Badagry to take full advantage of the free registration service. "Proper birth documentation is the key to education, healthcare, social benefits, and even future international travel," Hunpe stated, adding, "a child properly documented today becomes an adult fully empowered tomorrow."
The Medical Officer of Health for Badagry, Dr. Wale Akeredolu, provided the critical context driving this digital transition. He revealed that the move was prompted by serious concerns raised by the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) over rampant birth certificate racketeering, age falsification, and the absence of a unified national birth database.
These issues have historically hampered accurate planning and resource allocation. Dr. Akeredolu confirmed that children registered through the new platform will be automatically assigned a National Identification Number (NIN), a project realized through collaboration between ALGON, the National Population Commission (NPC), UNICEF, and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
Mrs. Modupe Hunga, Badagry LGA's representative for the E-Birth Registration Initiative, confirmed that the first phase will target children aged zero to twelve months. She commended Chairman Hunpe for his unwavering support, which included providing trained enumerators, registration tablets, printing equipment, and an enabling work environment. According to Mrs. Hunga, these digital tools will make the entire process faster, easier, and more reliable for families across Badagry Local Government, Badagry West LCDA, and Olorunda LCDA, ensuring no child is left behind.