The National Population Commission (NPC),  has  commenced nationwide digital birth and death registration under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (ECRVS) system, declaring that the initiative will tackle Nigeria’s chronic identity deficit by ensuring every birth and death is captured through a modern technology-driven platform. Africans& Diaspora

Chairman of the commission, Hon. Aminu Ibrahim Yusuf who announced this on Wednesday in Abuja, said that Nigeria records an estimated five million births every year, yet millions of these births and deaths go unregistered.
  Yusuf stated that birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 percent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 percent stressing that these gaps deprive many Nigerians of legal identity and limit the availability of reliable data needed for effective national planning.
He described the move as a critical step in the collective efforts to build a modern, efficient, and technology-driven civil registration system that meets international standards and supports Mr. President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to him, the NPC has established 4,011 functional registration centres across the 774 Local Government Areas and is working to expand this network to about 8,000.
Yusuf stated that digital innovation  is one of the most transformative reforms in the history of civil registration in Nigeria adding that reflects the Commission’s unwavering commitment to leveraging technology to improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity, and guarantee that every birth and every death occurring in Nigeria is documented accurately and securely.

He emphasized that the  initiative builds on the historic launch of the E-CRVS System and the inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on CRVS by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,on 8th November 2023.
 The Chairman observed that the Commission is strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders to enhance the capacity of registration personnel and guarantee that all vital events are promptly and accurately recorded through the VitalReg platform.
He explained that the  platform is designed to modernize birth and death documentation and improve citizens’ access to these services nationwide.
Yusuf noted that the registration which commenced on1st July 2026 is a  transformative initiative and  is now operational across the thirty-six States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
 He said, “Civil registration is far more than an administrative process. It contributes to reliable national statistics that guide public policy, resource allocation, and development planning”.

Yusuf said that the VitalReg platform will provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, automated data validation, reduced paperwork and waiting time, and a more secure and credible national civil registration database.
The NPC Chairman said the digital transition is expected to strengthen legal identity management, improve demographic data accuracy and provide the government with reliable statistics for policy formulation, budgeting and national development planning
He added that the platform was designed to integrate with other government institutions within Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem in line with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda.

The NPC chairman observed that the commission is  collaborating with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF and Barnfort Technologies Limited to decentralise and localise birth registration services, making them more accessible at the grassroots.

He stated that the Commission had reviewed fees for specialised administrative services such as record modification, certificate re-issuance, attestations and verification requests, Yusuf assured Nigerians that birth registration and birth notification services would remain highly subsidised.

“Let me assure Nigerians that this review is not intended to create barriers to access. Birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised, in line with the Commission’s commitment to achieving universal registration,” he said.

Earlier, the Federal Commissioner representing Oyo State, Dr. Eyitayo Oyetunji, described the transition to a fully digital registration system as a historic milestone for the Commission adding that for the first time since the Commission began carrying out civil registration in 1988, Nigerians would no longer rely on manual, paper-based registration.

“From July 1, 2026, civil registration is no longer being done manually using paper forms. The new system also allows Nigerians living abroad to access self-service registration from anywhere in the world,” Oyetunji said.

He urged the media to sensitise Nigerians on the new platform, stressing that birth registration for children aged zero to five years and death registration remain free government services aimed at guaranteeing legal identity for every Nigerian and strengthening the country’s demographic database.