The Department of Population Studies on 19th September 2024 hosted the Executive Director of the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), for highly informative guest lecture attended by students from Year 1 to Graduate level. The event, focused on the importance of civil registration in Uganda, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9: Legal Identity for All.
Dr. Peter Kisaakye initiated the session by welcoming the students and introducing the Principal of CoBAMS, who expressed gratitude to students for their academic commitment. Dr. Allen Kabagenyi, Head of the Department of Population Studies, gave an insightful overview of the department’s academic programs and the integral role of civil registration in research and societal development. She emphasized the department’s values of Integrity, Professionalism, Collaboration, Accountability, and Innovation, while highlighting the department’s five academic programmes, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programs in Population Studies.
The highlight of the day was the keynote address by Ms. Rosemary Kisembo, Executive Director of NIRA. Ms. Kisembo discussed the significance of civil registration in Uganda and shared national statistics that underscored the urgent need to increase registration rates. She outlined the key components of civil registration, namely that it must be Compulsory, Continuous, Universal, and Permanent (CCUP), while drawing parallels between human life cycles and crucial civil events like births and deaths.
Ms. Kisembo also shared the latest national identification registration statistics, revealing that 59.7% of Uganda’s population is currently registered, while 41.3% remain unregistered. She encouraged students to become advocates for universal registration, noting that the absence of such data negatively impacts future investments in various sectors, including political, economic, and social development.
The session featured an engaging question-and-answer segment, followed by closing remarks from Dr. Patricia Ndugga and the Deputy Principal, Prof. James Wokadala. Prof. Wokadala extended his appreciation to NIRA for their collaboration and called for a formal partnership between the two institutions, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate joint research and staff exchanges.
The guest lecture was a resounding success, reinforcing the critical role of civil registration in national development and providing students with invaluable insights into its practical applications.