By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, August, MANA: Principal Secretary for the National Registration Bureau (NRB), Mphatso Sambo, has emphasized the need of strengthen collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the efficiency of the registration exercise across all districts in the country

His statements were made on Thursday, during a Press briefing held at the Bureau's headquarters in Lilongwe, with the aim of updating Malawians on the current status of NRB registration process in the country.

Sambo highlighted that Malawi has attained the highest global ranking among nations undertaking registration, boasting a registration rate of 75 percent.

He indicated that the Bureau is committed to promptly assisting those requiring registration, with intentions to establish service centers in all traditional authority headquarters for expedited citizen support.

Sambo underscored the Bureau's mandate to execute registration nationwide, acknowledging the steadfast backing of the Malawian government in facilitating the operations of the National Registration Bureau.

"In the spirit of transparency and accountability, the Bureau consistently engages diverse stakeholders to provide insights into its operations" Sambo Said

While giving an overview on ID registration, Acting Chief Registration Officer responsible for IDs, Mbawaka Mwakhwawa, provided an update on the Citizenship registration exercise, revealing that the Bureau has conducted mass registration from 2016 to 2023, with some individuals yet to be registered due to various challenges.

He stated that currently, the Bureau is undertaking a Mop Up Exercise to finalise the registration process, showcasing commendable performance throughout these exercises.

It was revealed that 12.3 million individuals aged 16 and above have been documented.

Furthermore, Mwakhwawa pointed out that the current projections from the National Statistics Office and NRB indicate a significantly high population in terms of registration in Lilongwe, with Likoma below the list.

Chief Registration Registration responsible for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, Rhoderic Langwe, stated that 3.5 million children have been registered since the inception of the exercise.

"Despite these efforts, a substantial gap remains due to unregistered individuals" Langwe said

He reiterated the commitment of the National Registration Bureau to ensuring the registration of every Malawian.

Langwe emphasized that through the issuance of birth and death certificates, the government can enrich its database by recording causes of death, aiding in identifying prevalent diseases, and enhancing service delivery while supporting research initiatives.