Yola South LGA to Require Birth Certificates for School Enrollment
Yola South LGA in Adamawa State is implementing a policy that requires children to present birth certificates for enrollment in primary schools. This move, announced during a nationwide birth registration campaign by NOA, NPC, NIMC, and UNICEF, aims to improve child registration rates.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
The Yola South Local Government Area (LGA) in Adamawa State has announced a new policy requiring children to present birth certificates for primary school enrollment. This initiative aims to boost the registration of all children born within the region.
During a nationwide birth registration drive organized by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Education Secretary of Yola South LGA, Abba Bawuro, emphasized the policy's importance. Bawuro revealed that a recent meeting with 82 head teachers resulted in an agreement to mandate birth certificate presentation for all pupils entering nursery and primary schools.
Mallam Lanre Onilu, Director General of NOA, highlighted the crucial role of birth registration in data collection for effective government planning. “Without accurate data, it is challenging for the government to address citizen welfare and provide necessary social services,” Onilu stated. He stressed that obtaining birth registration and National Identification Numbers (NIN) will facilitate easier access to various social services in the future.
Fatima Aliyu and Adamu Sulaiman Abbo, representatives of NIMC and NPC, respectively, assured that birth registration for children is free and encouraged parents to utilize this opportunity. Johnah Agye, Director of NOA in Adamawa State, urged parents to take advantage of the free registration, noting that the house-to-house birth registration campaign, which began in August, will continue until November.
