National Population Commission, NPC, says it has recorded a total of 1,174,392 birth registrations have been recorded across the country between January and May 2023.
Gatekeepers News reports that the figure was contained in an app called RapidSMS designed by the NPC and obtained on Sunday.
RapidSMS functions as a data collection and reporting platform for online and offline birth registration.
The app revealed that the birth registration of children under one was 362,798; children under five were 562,345; and children above five were 249,249.
A total of 580,820 female children were registered while 593,572 males were registered.
According to the app, the female children were registered in 2,573 centres while the males were registered in 3,936 centres across the country.
The app further revealed that 304,118 births were registered in January; 142,142 in February; 267,583 in March; 228,456 in April; and 232,093 in May.
It added that Lagos State had the highest birth registration of 115,264, followed by Ogun with 82,296; and Bauchi, with 76,767 birth registrations.
Details of other states include; Plateau, 45,421; Zamfara, 6,687; Yobe, 13,109; Taraba, 25,643; Sokoto, 65,499; Rivers, 32,095; Oyo, 42,036; Niger, 15,352; Nasarawa, 9,545; Kwara, 53,730; Kebbi, 4,753; Katsina, 41,096; Imo, 14,983; Kano, 10,693; Kaduna, 17,641; Jigawa, 7,462; Gombe, 4,650; Enugu, 5,330; and Ebonyi, 27,004 births.
Meanwhile, Delta recorded 37,467 births; Cross-River, 12,732; Borno, 67,416; Benue, 38,009; Akwa-Ibom, 24,181; Adamawa, 33,796; Anambra, 36,898; Bayelsa, 9,440; Edo, 53,490; Ekiti, 22,048; Ondo, 25,568; Osun, 28,615; Federal Capital Territory, 26,768; Kogi, 25,522; and Abia, 26,058.
The Director, Vital Registration, NPC, Matthew Sunday, noted that more sensitisation by the commission was ongoing to ensure that Nigerians register their children at birth.
Sunday said, “The app has been very effective and there has been updates from time to time.
“We have been on serious advocacy and sensitisation to let Nigerians know the importance of birth registration.
“UNICEF has been a great pillar of support in this advocacy. We are collaborating with primary health care agencies, National Youth Service Corps, and the National Orientation Agency to help us spread the message of birth registration.”
