The National Population Commission (NPC) has officially commenced the nationwide digital registration of births and deaths through its new VitalReg platform under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to modernise civil registration and improve the quality of demographic data.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, NPC Chairman Dr. Aminu Yusuf announced that the fully digital registration system became operational across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on July 1, 2026.
He described the rollout as one of the most significant reforms in Nigeria’s civil registration history, saying it would strengthen service delivery, improve data integrity, and ensure every birth and death is accurately captured through a secure digital platform.
“This transformative initiative is now operational across the thirty-six States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory,” Yusuf said, adding that the reform reflects the Commission’s commitment to leveraging technology to deliver efficient and internationally compliant civil registration services.
Initiative Rollout
The digital rollout builds on the launch of the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system and the inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on CRVS by President Bola Tinubu on November 8, 2023.
According to the NPC chairman, the reform aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and broader digital transformation strategy by creating an integrated, technology-driven civil registration system capable of supporting national identity management and evidence-based planning.
Yusuf noted that Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, but millions of births and deaths remain undocumented. Birth registration coverage currently stands at approximately 57%, while death registration remains below 20%, creating significant gaps in legal identity coverage and national statistics.
He said the Commission has established 4,011 functional registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and plans to expand the network to about 8,000 centres to improve access to registration services.
“The platform is designed to modernize birth and death documentation and improve citizens’ access to these services nationwide,” he said.
What to Expect
According to him, the VitalReg platform will provide faster registration services, round-the-clock online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, reduced paperwork and waiting times, automated data validation, and a more secure national Civil Registration and Vital Statistics database.
The platform has also been designed to integrate with other government digital identity systems, enabling interoperability across Nigeria’s digital governance ecosystem.
To deepen grassroots access, the Commission has entered into a partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited under a decentralisation initiative aimed at bringing registration services closer to communities.
As part of the transition to the new digital system, the Commission has reviewed fees for specialised administrative services such as record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests.
However, he stressed that the fee review would not affect access to birth registration.
“Birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidized, in line with the Commission’s commitment to achieving universal registration,” he said.
The Commission also disclosed that the VitalReg platform is being operated through a Public-Private Partnership with Barnksforte Technologies Limited, which will provide technical support, cybersecurity protection, continuous system availability and ongoing technological upgrades.
