A new report on civil registration in Nigeria has revealed alarmingly low birth registration rates across several northern states, raising concerns over identity management, child protection, and access to social services.

According to the latest data, Jigawa State recorded the lowest percentage of registered births in the country at 15.7%, followed by Kebbi (18.8%), Sokoto (19.0%), and Yobe (19.4%). Other states with low registration figures include Bauchi (24.8%), Kaduna (25.7%), Plateau (27.0%), Kogi (27.2%), Niger (27.3%), Borno (28.9%), Zamfara (29.1%), and Taraba (31.1%).

An analysis of the data shows that the North-West and North-East zones account for most of the states with the lowest birth registration coverage, while a few states in the North-Central also feature among the bottom performers.

Experts have linked the poor performance to limited access to registration centres, cultural barriers, lack of awareness, and weak institutional frameworks for civil documentation in rural communities.

Birth registration, a key indicator of child rights and governance, provides legal identity and access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and social protection.

UNICEF and the National Population Commission (NPC) have consistently emphasized that millions of Nigerian children remain unregistered, leaving them “invisible” in policy and planning processes.

Stakeholders are calling for urgent intervention to expand digital birth registration systems, increase public awareness campaigns, and strengthen coordination between the NPC, state governments, and development partners to ensure every Nigerian child is officially recognized at birth.