National Population Commission. Credit: NPC
The National Population Commission says Nigerians can now register births and deaths and obtain certificates online through its newly introduced digital registration platform, eliminating the need for physical visits in many cases.
NPC Chairman, Dr Aminu Yusuf, announced the commencement of the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system and the VitalReg platform at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Yusuf, the platform became operational nationwide on July 1, 2026, covering the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“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 (E-CRVS) system.
“Effective 1st July 2026, this transformative initiative is now operational across the thirty-six states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.
The NPC chairman said the digital platform would modernise birth and death registration by providing faster and more efficient services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, improved data validation and a more secure national civil registration database.
He added that the system would also reduce paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel for Nigerians seeking registration services.
“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 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 said.
Yusuf said Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, but millions of births and deaths remain 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,” he said.
To improve coverage, he said the commission had established 4,011 functional registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and was working to expand the network to about 8,000 centres.
He said the commission had also entered into a partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, the National Identity Management Commission, UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited to decentralise birth registration and legal identity services at the community level.
According to Yusuf, the VitalReg platform is designed to integrate with Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem to improve service delivery and support the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda.
He said some specialised administrative services, including record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests, would attract reviewed fees to sustain the digital infrastructure.
However, he stressed 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.
Yusuf urged parents and other stakeholders to ensure that births and deaths were registered promptly, saying the success of the reform depended on active public participation.
“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.
