'Persons Above 18 Years Not Qualified For Birth Certificate'

The National Population Commission (NPC) has disclosed that persons above 18 years are not qualified to receive birth certificate. 

Instead of birth certificate, persons born before 1992 and those above 18 years will be given Attestation of Birth.

This latest revelation will likely douse the tension created by some agencies that are requesting for birth certificate from persons older than 18 years. 

State Director of NPC in Oyo, Mr Akin Oyetunde stated on Tuesday in Ibadan that the decision is in accordance with the commission's Birth and Death Act 1992.

 “The NPC is guided by an Act propagated in 1992, so, any child born before 1992 will not be issued birth certificate.

"Those below 18 years will be issued birth certificate by the commission," he added. 

Oyetunde noted that all the Local Governments in Nigeria have its birth and death registration centres, adding that each has a maximum of three registration centres.

He pointed out that the certificates issued at the centres are the same everywhere and acceptable wherever it is tendered.

On the postponed National Population and Housing Census earlier slated for 2023, Oyetunde informed that the commision is ready for the exercise.

"We are prepared and only need the Federal Government to give the go-ahead. All materials for the exercise have been distributed to Local Governments.

“All those who are to take part in the census have been trained, all is set to hit the ground running," he concluded.