The Federal Government, yesterday, said that accurate information on the size, characteristics, and distribution of the nation’s population are essential for planning, as well as effective delivery of public services to Nigerians.

President Bola Tinubu, who stated this during the launch of the Digital Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (e-CRVS), and the National Geospatial Data Repository at the State House, Abuja, said Nigeria’s population remains the greatest asset the nation wields in the broader mission to become one of the largest economies in the world.

This came as UNICEF commended the country’s effort, saying that the gesture is a beacon of hope for sustainable development and rights-based future of Nigeria.

Tinubu said the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system is the basic building block of an identity ecosystem, adding that “it will help to improve service delivery to all Nigerians and shall ultimately become a vital source of identity data across federal agencies, such as NIMC, NIS, Road Safety, INEC, Police, EFCC and other security outfits.

He urged the National Population Commission (NPC) to deploy its cutting edge technology, especially the geo-spatial data that has been collected through the Enumeration Area Demarcation, in implementing the e-CRVS.

Meanwhile, the UNICEF Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, said the launch, realised through its collaboration with the NPC, and Barnkforte Technologies Limited, aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s civil registration and vital statistics system as part of commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16.9.2 for legal identity for all.

Munduate assured of UNICEF’s steadfastness in support of the Federal Government’s endeavour to build a sustainable civil registration and vital Statistics system.

Also, Speaking at the event, the Chairman, NPC, Nasir Isa Kwarra, who spoke at the event, said the project would accelerate civil registration and vital statistics systems in Nigeria over a period of 10 years, from 2023 to 2030 and would help in the achievement of the SDGs on legal identity for all, including birth registration.