Only 40% of births registered in Nigeria, says National Population Commission

Nigeria's National Population Commission (NPC) has raised concerns that only about 40% of births are registered each year, a figure that falls significantly short despite more than five million children being born annually in the country. This low registration coverage presents a major hurdle for Nigeria's goal of establishing a comprehensive and reliable national population database.

To tackle this challenge, the NPC has initiated a fully digital Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system, launched nationwide on the Vital Rights Platform on July 1, 2026. This move signifies an end to manual registration processes and the commencement of a technology-driven era for civil registration in Nigeria.

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More than five million children are born in Nigeria every year. According to the most recent Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey, only about 40 per cent of births are registered, while death registration coverage remains unacceptably low.

The digital system is designed to securely and efficiently record vital events such as births, deaths, and marriages, thereby providing crucial data for governance, planning, and sustainable development. The NPC chairman, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, highlighted that the platform will enhance the storage and security of vital records, minimize duplication through automated verification and unique identifiers, and enable seamless integration with health institutions, identity management agencies, and planning bodies.

Dr. Yusuf further stated that the Commission is decentralizing registration services to reach more Nigerians, especially those in rural and underserved areas. Digital registration services have already been extended to approximately 4,000 wards nationwide, with plans for full coverage. Additionally, over 4,000 functional registration centers are operational across all 774 local government areas, and an expansion program aims to increase this number to about 8,000 centers. This expansion seeks to reduce geographical barriers, costs, and time associated with accessing registration services, ensuring that no vital event is missed.

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These statistics underscore the urgent need to accelerate registration coverage through sustainable public awareness, stronger partnerships and increased community participation.