What is the Renewed Hope Initiative Project on Birth Registration at Scale in Nigeria

Background and Context

The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), championed by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, is a broad social development agenda aimed at improving services for families, women, youth and children across Nigeria. One of the core projects of RHI is to accelerate birth registration at scale. This was officially launched on 29 August 2024 in collaboration with the UNICEF Nigeria and the National Population Commission (NPC). 0

Birth registration in Nigeria has long had gaps—many children born outside hospitals or in remote/rural areas are never registered early, which deprives them of fundamental rights such as access to health, education, and social protection. The Sustainable Development Goal 16.9 aims for legal identity for all, including birth registration, by 2030. The Renewed Hope Initiative project seeks to fast-track Nigeria’s progress toward that goal. 1

Key Objectives of the Project

The project intends to achieve several interlinked objectives:

• Ensure all children under 5 years are registered at birth across all states in Nigeria. 2
• Issue a National Identification Number (NIN) at the point of birth registration. 3
• Make birth registration free of charge for children under 5 during the period of the drive, especially in public/health facilities and via outreach. 4
• Implement a digital/digitised Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system (e-CRVS) to improve coverage, data quality and interoperability with other identity systems like the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). 5
• Raise awareness and mobilize communities, traditional and religious leaders, health facilities and state actors to support birth registration. 6
• Issue a commemorative birth certificate bearing the RHI logo for births registered in a defined period (from 29 August to 31 December 2024). 7

Partners and Stakeholders

This project is a multi‐stakeholder effort. Key actors include:

• The First Lady’s Office, through the Renewed Hope Initiative. 8
• National Population Commission (NPC) – responsible for civil registration of births and issuing birth certificates. 9
• UNICEF Nigeria – supporting technical assistance, awareness, funding and digital tools. 10
• National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) – linking birth registration to NIN issuance. 11
• Barnksforte Technologies Limited – technical partner for digital systems (e-CRVS). 12
• Health facilities and frontline health workers, state governments, traditional and religious leaders. 13

How the Project Works

The project has specific mechanisms and implementation strategies designed to reach children, especially in underserved areas:

• Free birth registration at public health facilities and during outreach campaigns so that births occurring outside hospitals are registered. 14
• Issuance of NIN at birth registration, meaning parents registering their children will receive both a birth certificate and foundational identity documentation. 15
• Digitization of registration using e-CRVS system to make the process faster, reduce delays, improve record verification and reduce fraud. 16
• Community mobilization: local leaders, religious institutions, women’s groups, civil society, traditional rulers are engaged to raise awareness and encourage parents to register births immediately. 17
• Commemorative certificate design: for those children whose births are registered during the launch period, a special birth certificate bearing RHI branding was introduced. 18

Eligibility and Who Can Benefit

The project is designed for:

• Children under the age of five across all states of Nigeria. 19
• Newborns at registration points, including health facilities and outreach points. 20
• Parents or guardians registering births for free during the defined period. 21
• All Nigerians, particularly in remote or underserved communities, who may have previously faced barriers to registering births due to cost, distance, or lack of knowledge. 22

Timeline and Commemorative Period

The official launch of the project was on 29 August 2024. The commemorative birth certificate period runs from 29 August to 31 December 2024 for births registered in this timeframe. 23

Expected Benefits of the Project

This project is expected to yield multiple benefits to individuals, communities, and the nation at large. Benefits include:

• Every child will have a legal identity from birth, reducing invisibility in official records. 24
• Improved access to healthcare, immunization, education, and social services for registered children. 25
• Better demographic data for planning and policy, because civil registration data will become more reliable. 26
• Reduction in fraudulent claims and misuse of identity documents. Digital systems and verification help mitigate these risks. 27
• Facilitation of National Identification Number (NIN) issuance early, which helps future access to financial inclusion, identity verification, travel documents. 28
• Promotion of Sustainable Development Goal 16.9 (legal identity for all) in Nigeria. 29

Challenges the Project May Face

While ambitious, the project has potential challenges that need attention:

• Reaching births that take place outside formal health facilities, especially in remote or rural areas. Logistic and infrastructure issues.
• Ensuring continuous funding to support free registration, outreach, and digital infrastructure.
• Digital literacy and internet connectivity constraints in underserved communities.
• Awareness gaps among parents, especially in areas with low education or where traditional beliefs hinder registration.
• Ensuring interoperability and integration between NPC, NIMC and other stakeholders to avoid duplication or data mismatch.
• Managing the volume of registrations to prevent delays or system overloads.

Comparison with Other Birth Registration Efforts

Nigeria has made various past efforts to improve birth registration, but many were limited by funding, geographic reach, and infrastructure. The Renewed Hope Initiative project distinguishes itself by combining digital systems (e-CRVS), free services for young children, commemorative certificates, and issuance of NIN at birth—making it more comprehensive. Previous efforts were often localized or limited in time, and sometimes did not link birth registration to identity systems.

How to Access Birth Registration under this Project

Parents and guardians wishing to register their child under this project can:

• Visit any public health facility or hospital that provides birth registration services and request registration free of charge during the commemorative period. 30
• Reach out to NPC offices or mobile registration units during outreach campaigns. 31
• Ensure they have basic supporting documents like parents’ identification, proof of delivery, and where possible, proof of address. Even though many services may be free, proper information is required.
• Collect the commemorative birth certificate (bearing the RHI logo) if the child birth is registered in the specified period. 32
• Follow announcements from NPC, RHI, and UNICEF via social media and official websites to know when outreach registrations will happen in your state. 33

Conclusion

The Renewed Hope Initiative project to accelerate birth registration at scale in Nigeria is a landmark effort which promises to address long-standing gaps in civil registration, ensure legal identity for children, improve access to services, and strengthen data for planning and governance. The partnership between the Office of the First Lady, NPC, UNICEF and other technical partners signals strong political will and resource backing. As the project unfolds, citizen participation, awareness, and vigilance will be key to its success.

For further reading, check our related articles on difference between birth attestation and birth certificate and duties of the NDE.