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Nigeria: Millions of births, deaths unregistered despite five million annual births
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Nigeria: Millions of births, deaths unregistered despite five million annual births

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Nigeria's National Population Commission (NPC) reports millions of births and deaths go unregistered annually.
  • Birth registration coverage is at 57 percent, while death registration is below 20 percent.
  • The NPC has launched a new digital platform, VitalReg, to improve registration rates and data accuracy.

Despite Nigeria recording an estimated five million births each year, millions of these births and deaths remain unregistered, according to the National Population Commission (NPC). The commission revealed that birth registration coverage stands at approximately 57 percent nationwide, with death registration falling below 20 percent.

This significant registration gap leaves many Nigerians without a legal identity. It also deprives the government of crucial, reliable demographic data essential for effective national planning, resource allocation, and policy formulation. To address this, the NPC has launched a Fully Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system and the VitalReg digital platform.

Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions of these births and deaths go unregistered. Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent.

— Dr. Aminu YusufThe NPC Chairman highlighted the scale of the unregistered births and deaths in Nigeria.

Launched on July 1, 2026, the VitalReg platform operates across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. It aims to enhance birth and death registration processes, bolster data integrity, and align Nigeria's civil registration system with international standards. The platform provides round-the-clock online access, reduces paperwork, and improves data accuracy through automated validation.

NPC Chairman Dr. Aminu Yusuf stated that the commission currently manages 4,011 registration centers and plans to expand this to around 8,000 to improve accessibility. The VitalReg platform is designed for integration with other government digital identity systems, supporting Nigeria's broader digital transformation agenda. The initiative is a public-private partnership with Barnksforte Technology Limited, which is providing the technological infrastructure and maintenance.

These gaps deprive many Nigerians of legal identity and limit the availability of reliable data needed for effective national planning.

— Dr. Aminu YusufDr. Yusuf explained the consequences of the low registration rates.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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