Many parents in Niger are unaware that birth certificates are free. This is one of the reasons why four out of ten children do not have birth certificates.
Many children cannot go to school because of their birth certificates, as it is estimated that half of the population is under 15 years old.
Therefore, the absence of this birth registration will have a negative impact on the future of children in this West African country.
The pedagogical advisor of the Sakoira school confirmed this to the press, adding that after exams, children cannot move on to the next cycle because of the lack of a birth certificate. The birth certificate is also important for establishing an identity card, opening a bank account, and access to justice.
Several other factors contribute to this phenomenon: the slowness of administrations, the lack of infrastructure, and the lack of information for citizens concerning the procedure. Moreover, parents have only 60 days from birth to register their child with the state services, as most parents only think of establishing their children’s papers once the need arises.