Niger NPC begins digital birth, death registration

The National Population Commission (NPC) has officially commenced the digital registration of births and deaths in Niger State, marking a significant step towards modernizing vital statistics collection across Nigeria. This rollout aligns with the national objective of implementing a fully digital birth and death registration system under the E-CRVS (electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics) system.

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It is my privilege to formally announce the full commencement of the digital registration of births and deaths on the VitalReg platform under the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system.

Dr. Aminù Yussuf, the NPC Chairman, represented by Mallam Musa Sabo, a director in the Niger State office, announced the initiative. He stated that the digital system will strengthen civil registration, enhance the generation of vital statistics, and ensure that every birth and death in Nigeria is captured accurately and securely through a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled process. This reform is presented as a key component of President Bola Tinubu's "Renewed Hope Agenda."

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Today’s announcement marks the next critical step in our collective effort to build a modern, efficient and technology-driven civil registration system that meets international standards and supports Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

Yussuf highlighted that civil registration is crucial for public policy, resource allocation, and development planning. However, Nigeria faces significant challenges, with an estimated 5 million births annually but millions of unregistered births and deaths. Current birth registration coverage stands at approximately 57 percent nationwide, while death registration is below 20 percent. These gaps leave many Nigerians without legal identity and limit the availability of reliable data for national planning.

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This digital innovation is one of the most transformative reforms in the history of civil Registration in Nigeria. It reflects the commission’s unwavering commitment to leverage technology to improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and guarantee that every birth and every death occurring in Nigeria is documented accurately and securely.

To combat these deficiencies, the NPC has established 4,011 functional registration centers across all 774 local government areas and plans to expand this network to about 8,000 centers. The VitalReg platform, central to the E-CRVS system, is expected to provide a more robust and transparent method for documenting these critical life events.

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Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide while death registration remains below 20 per cent. These gaps deprive many Nigerians of legal identity and limit the availability of reliable data needed for effective national planning.