The Nigeria Population Commission (NPC) has documented a total of 424,302 births in Gombe State from January to November, according to Adedeji Adeniyi, the head of NPC’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in the state. The registrations, conducted across more than 100 registration centers, encompass children aged 0 to 17 years.
Of the total births, 44.13% (187,283) were recorded as girls, while 55.86% (237,019) were boys. The data further detailed age brackets, revealing that 76,900 were children below the age of one year, with 43,140 boys and 33,760 girls. Additionally, 285,010 children were aged between one and four years, comprising 125,230 girls and 159,780 boys. The remaining 62,392 children fell within the four to 17 years age bracket, with 28,293 girls and 34,099 boys.
Adeniyi emphasized the NPC’s dedication to increasing birth registration and highlighted the collaboration with UNICEF in transitioning from manual to digital birth registration. This modern approach aims to streamline the process and encourage more residents to register births, recognizing the importance of accurate data for governmental planning and intervention.
Birth registration, according to Adeniyi, plays a crucial role in providing children with identity, nationality, and access to essential social amenities. He expressed concern over the insufficient registration of deaths in the state, urging residents to register such events as it provides essential insights for government planning and decision-making. The registration of deaths offers valuable data on prevalent causes of mortality, facilitating informed policy planning and implementation.
