The ruling came barely a day after Atiku, whose name had earlier been published by INEC as the ADC presidential candidate, attended a campaign rally in Sokoto State.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over the low rate of birth registration in Ghana, warning that many children remain without official legal recognition due to gaps in the country’s civil registration system.

Birth registration is a fundamental right that gives every child legal identity and provides access to essential services, including education, healthcare and social protection.The development has raised concerns about the number of children who may be excluded from government planning and other essential services because their births have not been officially documented.

UNICEF Representative to Ghana, Andy Brooks, raised the concern while speaking at the Eighth International Research Conference of the College of Humanities at the University of Ghana.According to Mr Brooks, available data indicate that only about 61 per cent of Ghanaian children have birth certificates, leaving nearly four out of every 10 children without documented birth certificates.

He described the situation as worrying, explaining that children without legal identity are often excluded from official statistics used by government agencies and development partners to plan essential services. According to Mr Brooks, available data indicate that only about 61 per cent of Ghanaian children have birth certificates, leaving nearly four out of every 10 children without documented birth certificates.

He described the situation as worrying, explaining that children without legal identity are often excluded from official statistics used by government agencies and development partners to plan essential services.Mr Brooks recounted a recent visit to Boapasi in Ghana’s Eastern Region, where only a handful of children among hundreds gathered in the community had birth certificates.

He stressed that accurate birth registration was necessary for determining the number of children in different communities and ensuring adequate provision of healthcare, education and other social services. The UNICEF representative attributed the low registration rate partly to poor telecommunications connectivity and limited access to digital registration services, particularly in remote communities.

He called for targeted interventions to address these challenges and ensure that children in underserved areas are properly registered. Professor Samuel Arday Codjoe, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development at the University of Ghana, also called for stronger data systems and evidence-based policymaking.

He cited research findings indicating that factors such as gender, ethnicity, marital status and religion could influence the likelihood of a child’s birth being registered. The conference was held under the theme, “Inclusion as a Global Imperative: Confronting Inequality and Advancing Equity, Justice and Innovation in a Fragmenting World.”

Birth registration provides children with legal recognition and helps protect their rights while supporting effective national development planning.