NIGER NPC BEGINS DIGITAL BIRTH, DEATH REGISTRATION

The National Population Commission has commenced the digital registration of births and deaths in Niger State.

The Chairman of the commission, Dr Aminù Yussuf, made this known to newsmen in Minna, where he disclosed that the action aligns with the nationwide full digital birth and death registration under the E- CRVS system.

Represented by a director in the Niger State office of the commission, Mallam Musa Sabo, the chairman said the effort will strengthen civil registration, enhance the generation of vital statistics and ensure that every birth and death occurring in Nigeria is captured through a modern, efficient and digitally enabled registration system.

Yusuf, who spoke through Sabo, noted, “It is my privilege to formally announce the full commencement of the digital registration of births and deaths on the VitalReg platform under the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system.

“Today’s announcement marks the next critical step in our collective effort to build a modern, efficient and technology-driven civil registration system that meets international standards and supports Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“This digital innovation is one of the most transformative reforms in the history of civil Registration in Nigeria. It reflects the commission’s unwavering commitment to leverage technology to improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and guarantee that every birth and every death occurring in Nigeria is documented accurately and securely,” Yussuf said.

The chairman stressed that civil registration is far more than an administrative process but contributes to reliable national statistics that guide public policy,  resource allocation and development planning.

He disclosed that Nigeria records an estimated 5 million births annually; however, millions of the country’s births and deaths go unregistered.

The NPC Chairman added, “Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide while death registration remains below 20 per cent.

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

“To address this challenge, the NPC has established 4,011 functional registration centres across the 774 local government areas and is working to expand this network to about 8000.”