By Chioma Obinna

NOT less than 70 per cent of children in Nigeria do not have their births registered, says the United Nations Education Fund (UNICEF).

Quoting the National Population Census Report, UNICEF’s Country Representative, Dr. Suomi Sakai noted that all existing national data reveal persistent low birth registration coverage of children under the age of five.

• UNICEF's Country Representative, Dr Suomi Sakai, (centre) with Executive Asst. Manager- Four Points by Sheraton, Mr. Tunde Orungbega, (left) and Executive Secretary - MTN Foundation, Nonny Ugboma during the meeting of private sector partners in Lagos last week.

“About 70 per cent of children in Nigeria do not have their births registered going by the National Population Census Report. In legal terms, these children do not exist and violations of their rights will go unnoticed,” she stated.

She reiterated the need for active involvement of the Nigerian corporate community in ensuring that every child in the country has a right to a name and identity.

Speaking at a briefing session organised by UNICEF for its private sector partners in Lagos, Sakai observed that”UNICEF is interested in reaching out to various sectors of the society in Nigeria primarily to have an open and dynamic debate on solutions to the problems that Nigerian children and families are faced with.

“As an advocate of children, Sakai says UNICEF is interested in solving problems of today, as well as challenges likely to arise in the future because the organisation believes that Nigeria’s children deserve stakeholders collective best.