The National Population Commission (NPC), in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Interior, has commenced the digital transformation of birth and death registration systems nationwide.

Consequently, the commission is deploying digital registration points in healthcare facilities and community centres to ensure every Nigerian child is counted and protected from birth.

Meanwhile, the commission has stated that the upcoming census will mark a historic milestone as Nigeria’s first fully digital population and housing census, noting that the exercise will not only determine the country’s population size but also gather detailed, disaggregated data on age, gender, location, education, housing, and access to basic services.

Such data, according to the NPC, is vital for evidence-based planning, particularly in youth-focused sectors such as education, health, employment, and skills development. The federal government has demonstrated a strong commitment to this process by investing substantial resources and providing institutional support, highlighting the importance of data-driven governance.

The Chairman of the NPC, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, who disclosed this at a press conference to commemorate the 2025 World Population Day with the theme, “Empowering Young People to Create the Families They Want in a Fair and Hopeful World,” said that this real-time data system is already improving national planning for maternal and child health services, school enrolment, and social protection programmes.

He stated that a well-functioning Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system is the backbone of inclusive development, emphasising that a birth certificate is not just a document as it represents the first formal recognition of a citizen by the state and serves as a gateway to essential rights and services, unlocking access to education, healthcare, employment opportunities, and social protection.

The chairman pointed out that, without a birth certificate, individuals risk remaining invisible to policymakers and being excluded from national development.

He noted that the commission has also established a National Geospatial Data Repository, which integrates census and CRVS data with advanced geographic mapping tools. This platform allows us to visualise population trends, identify underserved communities, and monitor service delivery gaps across Nigeria.

“With the strong backing of the Federal Government and the technical and financial support of key partners, this innovation enhances our capacity to implement targeted interventions, especially in areas with high youth populations and limited infrastructure. These collective efforts affirm our belief that empowering young people, particularly in making informed reproductive choices, is not just desirable, but indispensable to national development,” he said.

Kwarra stated that Nigeria is at a pivotal moment in its demographic journey, and with over 60 per cent of the population under the age of 30, the country stands on the brink of a transformative demographic transition that presents both immense opportunity and significant challenges.

He observed that Nigeria has about 135 million young people, and many of them face multiple constraints ranging from limited access to quality education and healthcare to unemployment, gender-based discrimination, and social marginalisation, adding that these realities threaten to turn our potential demographic dividend into a demographic burden if left unaddressed.

Kwarra called on the government, civil society and development partners to recommit to creating a just and supportive environment in which young people are at the core of this effort, the power of data, adding that the NPC has redoubled its efforts to provide the evidence base necessary for inclusive, youth-focused governance.

In his Goodwill message, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Nigeria Deputy Representative, Mr Koessan Kuawu, urged the government to invest in youth by providing secure jobs, sufficient income for housing, and other living costs to help young people achieve financial stability and broaden their choices regarding family planning.

Kuawu emphasised the need to ensure access to comprehensive sexuality education to support informed choices and empower young people with knowledge about their reproductive health and rights during Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), and to make SRHR services accessible to all, especially young people, as a cornerstone for building sustainable and inclusive societies in Nigeria.