By Joel Ajayi
The National Population Commission (NPC) has officially ushered Nigeria into a new era of civil registration with the nationwide rollout of its Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, bringing an end to the country’s decades-old manual registration process for births and deaths.
The digital transformation, which took effect on July 1, 2026, introduces the VitalReg platform across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), marking one of the most significant reforms in Nigeria’s civil registration history.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, NPC Chairman, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, described the nationwide deployment as a landmark achievement that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s drive toward digital governance.
According to him, the transition from paper-based registration to a fully digital platform is designed to modernise civil registration, improve service delivery, strengthen Nigeria’s national identity system and provide credible demographic data for national planning.
“This is a historic milestone in Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system. With the commencement of the VitalReg platform, we are building a modern, efficient and technology-driven civil registration system that meets international standards while ensuring every birth and death in Nigeria is captured accurately and securely,” Yusuf said.
He noted that civil registration extends beyond record-keeping, describing it as the foundation of legal identity and an essential tool for governance, healthcare planning, education, social protection and economic development.
Despite recording an estimated five million births annually, Yusuf lamented that millions of births and deaths in Nigeria still go unregistered. He disclosed that birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent, while death registration remains below 20 per cent, creating significant gaps in identity management and national statistics.
To address the challenge, the Commission has established 4,011 functional registration centres across Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas, with plans to expand the network to approximately 8,000 centres to make registration services more accessible, especially in rural communities.
The NPC Chairman explained that the VitalReg platform will provide faster and more efficient services through automated registration, reduced paperwork, shorter waiting times, enhanced data validation and secure digital record management. The system also offers online access to registration services and digital certificate issuance where applicable.
He added that the platform has been designed to integrate seamlessly with other government databases, particularly that of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), to strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem and improve inter-agency collaboration.
To ensure effective implementation, the Commission has partnered with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), NIMC, UNICEF, and Barnksforte Technologies Limited to decentralise registration services and improve access at the grassroots.
Yusuf disclosed that the digital infrastructure is being managed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) with Barnksforte Technologies Limited, which is responsible for system maintenance, cybersecurity and continuous technological upgrades.
While announcing a review of fees for specialised administrative services such as record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests, he assured Nigerians that birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised to promote universal registration.
He called on parents, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, state governments, local councils, civil society organisations and development partners to support the nationwide campaign, stressing that collective participation is essential to achieving universal civil registration.
Yusuf also commended members of the media, particularly the NPC Press Corps, for their role in promoting public awareness on civil registration.
“The success of this historic reform depends on the commitment of every stakeholder and every Nigerian. Together, we can guarantee every child a legal identity from birth, generate credible demographic data for national development and strengthen evidence-based governance,” he said.
Also speaking, the Team Lead of Barnksforte Technologies Limited, Mr. Adedayo Bankole, said the VitalReg platform was built with strong security features, user-friendly functionality and robust identity management capabilities.
He expressed confidence that the digital system would improve transparency, efficiency and the availability of reliable population data needed to drive national development.
Earlier, the Federal Commissioner representing Oyo State, Dr. Eyitayo Oyetunji, described the launch as a historic milestone, noting that since the establishment of the NPC in 1988, no previous administration had achieved the complete digitisation of civil registration.
He revealed that the platform also introduces a self-service option for Nigerians in the diaspora, enabling them to initiate and complete civil registration processes from anywhere in the world.
Oyetunji further disclosed that the Commission has integrated Deed Poll processing into the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system in line with a Supreme Court judgment requiring legal name changes to be supported by a valid Deed Poll rather than relying solely on newspaper publications and sworn affidavits.
He urged the media to sustain awareness campaigns, reiterating that birth registration for children remains free of charge under the Federal Government’s policy.
