Families in Kano State have turned out in large numbers to participate in a digital birth registration exercise organised by the National Population Commission (NPC) in partnership with UNICEF.

The initiative, supported by the Government of the Netherlands and implemented in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and ALGON, aims to provide legal identity for children, particularly in hard-to-reach and underserved communities.

Speaking during an exercise in Wasarde Birgima community, Joda Ward, Gabasawa Local Government Area, Abba Hussaini, focal person for Under-One Birth registration, described the turnout as “highly encouraging.

“Over 626 children were registered in the community alone, adding that the target for the area is 1,100 and 12,000 for the entire local government,” he explained.

Hussaini commended UNICEF for technical support, training of personnel, and provision of registration equipment, and highlighted the role of traditional and religious leaders in mobilizing families.

Also speaking, Bashir Aminu Dambazau of NPC said the digital system has simplified registration by enabling instant issuance of birth certificates, improving data management, and ensuring children are documented immediately.

He explained that the digital registration system is helping to improve documentation and data management while ensuring that children receive certificates immediately after registration.

Hussaina Ahmad, 20, who brought her eight-month-old daughter, Aisha, after missing the previous exercise in September 2025, said that she was only two weeks into motherhood then.

According to Hussaina, her husband, a commercial motorcycle operator, learned about the exercise from the village head and informed her.

“I don’t know my own birth date and I want my children to have an identity from the start.” She said

She explained that the registration was essential for school enrollment and other future benefits.

“I didn’t attend school, and neither did my parents, but I want my child to go to school and become influential in the community. Every child deserves this,” she added.

Hussaina noted that she would return to her community to educate other parents about the importance of early registration, praising the organisations bringing the service closer to families.

Similarly, 19-year-old Kaltume Ali of Unguwar Tsakiya brought her four-month-old son, Musa, said community awareness campaigns helped her realise that children without birth certificates often face barriers to healthcare, education, social protection, and other opportunities.

“My husband first heard about the registration from the village head and encouraged me to enrol our child. Neither of us has a national identity card, but we were told we could use his brother’s NIMC card. I don’t want my only son to miss out on opportunities,” she said.

Also participating was 20-year-old Asmau Sagir of Unguwar Yamma, who brought her seven-month-old son, Abdulrahman , said birth registration to safeguard children’s identity and future.

Sagir noted that digital registration helps families avoid challenges later, particularly with school enrollment and access to government services.

The Kano State Internal Revenue Service (KIRS) has commissioned a new Compliance and Enforcement office to provide staff with a conducive working environment and boost internally generated revenue (IGR) in the state.

The office was inaugurated at the African Alliance Building in Sabongari, Fagge Local Government Area.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, KIRS Executive Chairman, Dr. Zaid Abubakar, said the new office was established to enable staff in the Compliance and Enforcement Department to carry out their duties more effectively.

In the past, our staff worked under challenging conditions despite their heavy workload. The department previously operated from makeshift offices made up of containers and lacked the necessary equipment to perform optimally.

“Today, we have provided a modern office with state-of-the-art tools, computers, and a reliable internet network to support their work,” he explained.

Abubakar explained that the department has over 60 staff across various units, including Tax Audit, Debt Management, Tax Investigation, Enforcement, and Risk Profiling

He disclosed that the service had initially set a N35 billion revenue target for the Compliance and Enforcement Department for the year but now expects the office to generate up to N68 billion due to the working environment.

The KIRS boss also commended Governor Abba Yusuf for supporting the agency, noting that the governor is working towards enhancing the salary structure for KIRS staff outside the mainstream civil service.

Earlier, Elon Marcus, Director of Advisory and Tax Compliance at Manam Professional Services, a technical partner of KIRS, expressed optimism that the new office would help staff achieve their revenue targets.

“The idea behind setting up this office is to improve staff working conditions, with the expectation that they will put in more effort to meet the revenue targets set by the service,” he said.

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

The Nigerian Defence Academy has announced that its Screening Test for the 78 Regular Course will hold on Saturday, 13 June 2026 across all states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

In a statement issued on its X handle on Tuesday and signed by the Academy Registrar, the institution said the exercise is open only to candidates who scored 180 and above in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board in April 2026, and who selected the NDA as their first-choice institution.

According to the NDA, eligible candidates will receive an email on 20 May 2026 directing them to select their preferred state for the screening test.

The academy noted that this step is necessary for the allocation of examination centres nationwide.

The statement added that candidates must complete their selection of preferred test location no later than 24 May 2026.

The NDA advised applicants to choose their state of residence as their examination location, emphasising that the screening exercise will be conducted simultaneously across the country.

It further stated that candidates will later be informed of their assigned centres in the first week of June 2026.

“The selection of location (State) of choice for the test is to be done latest by 24 May 2026,” the statement read.

It also assured candidates of timely communication and further instructions via email, stressing that the Academy remains committed to fairness and equal opportunity for all qualified applicants nationwide.