Benin/Promoting Children’s Right to Identity: 8,500 Birth Certificates Issued to Students

The Kpédékpo district, located in the municipality of Zagnanado (Zou Department), hosted, on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, the official ceremony marking the start of the distribution of birth certificates to beneficiaries of the identification and registration campaign for the National Registry of Natural Persons (RNPP). The event was presided over by Mr. Yacoubou AMADOU, Chief of Staff to the Minister of the Interior and Public Security, in the presence of Ms. Thi Hoang MAI TRAN, representative for West Africa of the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF), and Mr. Marius Abdon MIKPON-AÏ, Director of Civil Registration. In total, nearly 8,500 birth certificates will be made available to the targeted students in ten municipalities.

This initiative aims to provide eligible students with the documents needed to establish their legal identity. It is intended both for schoolchildren who already have a birth certificate but are not yet registered in the RNPP, and for those who lack any documentation and whose status can be regularized in accordance with current laws. Through this initiative, the Beninese government reaffirms its commitment to continuing the modernization of the civil registry and improving the reliability of personal identification.

In his remarks, the Chief of Staff, Mr. Yacoubou AMADOU, emphasized that this special initiative (targeting fourth- and fifth-grade classes) provides a concrete solution to the difficulties faced by children without formal legal status. Thanks to this support, nearly 8,500 direct and indirect beneficiaries (students and families) have free access to the documents essential for a smooth educational experience and the exercise of their fundamental rights. “Behind every document issued, there is a child recognized by law, a reassured family, and a broadening horizon,” he essentially noted.

For her part, Ms. Thi Hoang MAI TRAN praised the structural reforms undertaken by Benin. According to her, the National Registry of Natural Persons and the work of the National Agency for Personal Identification (ANIP) are key drivers in ensuring that every citizen has a unique, reliable, and secure identity. Noting, however, that many schoolchildren still remain outside the system, the OIF representative welcomed this technical and financial partnership with the Civil Registry Directorate, which targets ten municipalities in the country’s Central and Southern regions.

Finally, the Director of Civil Registration, Mr. Marius Abdon MIKPON-AÏ, emphasized the crucial role of local elected officials and municipal services in the success of this pilot phase. While commending their efforts, he urged them to maintain this collective momentum so that every child in Benin can fully enjoy their inalienable right to a recognized identity.

Source: www.gouv.bj/article/