Christopher Oji
The Inspector- General of Police ,Usman Baba Alkali and stakeholders in health and security sectors have called for a centralized database in Nigeria .
This is just as the police pathologist ,Dr Samuel Kesinro also revealed that only 5922 deaths , representing only 4% of total deaths in Lagos were reported in 2021 .
The IGP and the stakeholders made the call on Wednesday ,in Lagos ,during a one-day symposium organised by the the Nigeria Police Force Pathologist Office, in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC).
They pointed out that wmany Nigerians attach much importance to birth registration than death registration .
The stakeholders expressed their belief that a good data of deaths and births in the country will help for a proper national planning.
IGP Usman Baba ,who was represented by AIG in charge of medical, Mr Olubunmi Ogunsanwo, said that the symposium was to sensitise people in Lagos State on the need for increase in death notification and registration.
He also said that the Lagos experience would spread the news to other states of the federation.
He noted that they decided to start the sensitisation from Lagos, due to the strategic position of the state to the nation, stressing that the donors of the grant for the programme specifically requested that Lagos should be a starting point.
He said: “Lagos as a state has led in so many fronts; when you look at the management of COVID-19, Ebola; the state has rebust structures. That is why we are starting here so that we can synergies,” “
Nigerian Population Comission Chairman, Nasir Kwara ,said that death notification and registration was very poor in all states of the federation, stressing the need for all to be sensitised on the issue.
Represented by Dr Dayo Layide, Director, Health and Planning, Research and Statistics of the commission,the NPC boss,called on the military, police and para-military, religious and traditional leaders to sensitise their followers on the need for notification and registration of death.
He noted that the commission has about 4000 registration centres at government health centres in all the states, stressing that birth was recording about 50 percent registration annually, while death only recorded 10 percent.
Dr Keshinro, a Chief Superintendent of Police, said that there was the need for adequate knowledge of the populace about death notification and registration through informantion .
Force spokesman, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that the Nigeria Police Force was hermonising their data base with NPC, FRSC, NIMC in the six geo-political zones.
Adejobi ,said that the harmonization became necessary in view of the security challenges in the country, stressing that such central data base would help for forensic investigation by all agencies.