BIRTH REGISTRATION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS IN THE FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA, NIGERIA

Abstract

The availability of accurate birth registration data is a source of concern for researchers and the
government. Making use of data from the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, this paper
examined the extent of completeness of birth registration and issues associated with this process.
Primary (questionnaires and interviews) and secondary (documents and records) data from FCT
Administration and National Population Commission (NPC) were utilized. This paper adopts the
Functionalist perspective in examining the level of awareness and the extent of compliance to
registration of births. Findings reveal that 100% of the respondents are aware of the birth
registration process, however, only 78.6% registered the birth of their children. Out of the six Area
Councils in the FCT, Abuja Municipal Area Council has the highest registered births with a total
of 308,642 and Kwali with the least registered births at 55,507. The extent of compliance to birth
registration in Abuja was highest in the year 2017 at 229,868 and lowest in 2020 at 13,450. Poor
compliance on the part of the parent(s), inadequate monitoring of the process by government
officials and some non-documentation of births by Traditional Birth Attendants are some
contributory factors to low registration figures. Birth registration is useful for various forms of
planning, health care delivery services and relevant infrastructure for better quality of life for
citizens. It is recommended that the NPC should enhance publicity, improve accessibility to
registration centre and improve on their logistics to ensure that all births are registered and
captured in a database.