Health
NPC deploys digital tools to expand birth, death registration
The National Population Commission has commenced nationwide digital registration of births and deaths through the VitalReg platform, stating that birth registration coverage in Nigeria currently stands at about 57 per cent, as death registration remains below 20 per cent.
The Federal Commissioner representing Gombe State on the commission, Abubakar Danburam, disclosed this during an interview with PUNCH Healthwise.
Danburam said the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system became fully operational nationwide on July 1, 2026, covering the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He described the digital registration initiative as a major reform aimed at improving the documentation of births and deaths, strengthening data integrity and providing reliable information for health planning and other national development purposes.
Danburam said, “It is my distinct honour and privilege, on behalf of the National Population Commission, 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 system.
“Effective 1st July 2026, this transformative initiative is now operational across the thirty-six States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory.”
According to the commissioner, Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, but a significant number of births and deaths are not registered, creating gaps in legal identity documentation and national planning.
He said, “Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions of these births and deaths go unregistered. 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.”
Danburam said the commission had established 4,011 functional registration centres across the 774 Local Government Areas and was working to increase the number to about 8,000.
He explained that the digital platform was designed to make registration faster and more accessible while reducing paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel by citizens.
According to him, the VitalReg platform would provide 24-hour online access to services, digital certificate issuance where applicable, automated data validation and a more secure national Civil Registration and Vital Statistics database.
“The platform is designed to modernise birth and death documentation and improve citizens’ access to these services nationwide,” he said.
The commissioner added that the platform would also support secure interoperability with government institutions within the country’s digital identity ecosystem.
He said the development was particularly important to the health sector because accurate birth and death records were essential for generating reliable population and vital statistics needed for evidence-based planning.
Danburam disclosed that the NPC had reviewed fees for some specialised administrative services, including record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests.
He, however, stressed that the review would not affect basic birth registration and birth notification services.
“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.
The Federal Commissioner said the VitalReg platform was being implemented through a public-private partnership with Barnksforte Technologies Limited, a Nigerian information technology solutions provider serving as the commission’s technical partner.
He said the partnership was expected to ensure system availability, cybersecurity protection and continuous technological improvements.
Danburam also disclosed that the NPC had signed a partnership compact on the decentralisation and localisation of birth registration and legal identity with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, the National Identity Management Commission, UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited.
He said the partnership would bring registration services closer to communities while improving accessibility and grassroots participation.
“The alliance aims to decentralise and localise registration services at the community level, improving accessibility, enhancing operational efficiency, and strengthening grassroots participation in civil registration processes and ultimately improving data accuracy and inclusivity across the country,” he said.
He urged state and local governments, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support the commission’s efforts by ensuring that births and deaths were registered promptly.
“The success of this historic reform depends on the active participation of all stakeholders and every Nigerian,” Danburam said.
He added that improved civil registration would help guarantee legal identity from birth and provide credible demographic information for national development.
“Together, we can build a modern civil registration system that guarantees every Nigerian a legal identity from birth, provides credible demographic data for national development, and supports effective governance and evidence-based planning,” he said.
The commissioner said the digital registration initiative was part of the commission’s broader commitment to improving civil registration and vital statistics through digital transformation, better data quality, stakeholder engagement, and improved service delivery.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
