The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali, and stakeholders in the health and security sectors have called for a centralised database in the country.
This was just as the police pathologist, Dr. Samuel Kesinro, also revealed that only 5,922 deaths, representing only four percent of total deaths in Lagos were reported in 2021.
The IGP and the stakeholders made the call yesterday, in Lagos, during a one-day symposium organised by the Nigeria Police Force Pathologist Office, in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC). They pointed out that many Nigerians attach much more importance to birth registration than death registration.
The stakeholders expressed their belief that good data on deaths and births in the country would help for 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 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 country, stressing that the donors of the grant for the programme specifically requested that Lagos be a starting point.
He said:
“Lagos as a state has led on so many fronts; when you look at the management of COVID-19 and Ebola, the state has robust structures. That is why we are starting here so that we can synergise.”
Nigerian Population Commission Chairman, Nasir Kwara, said that death notification and registration were 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 4,000 registration centres at government health centres in all the states, stressing that birth was recording about 50 percent registration annually, while death was only recorded at 10 percent.
The Chief Superintendent of Police, Dr. Keshinro, said that there was a need for adequate knowledge of the populace about death notification and registration through information.
Force spokesman, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said that the Nigeria Police Force was harmonising their database with NPC, FRSC, and NIMC in the six geo-political zones.
Adejobi said that harmonisation became necessary, in view of the security challenges in the country, stressing that such a central database would help for forensic investigation by all agencies.
