The National Population Commission (NPC) has begun nationwide digital registration of births and deaths. This, it said, is part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s civil registration system, improve access to legal identity, and provide reliable demographic data for national development. Nigerian Politics Coverage
The initiative was announced at a news conference marking the 2026 World Population Day and the nationwide rollout of the fully digitised birth and death registration system under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) platform, known as VitalReg. This year’s World Population Day theme is “Realising the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People – Today and for the Future”. The event was held simultaneously across all 36 states of the federation.
Federal Commissioner of the NPC in Lagos State, Barr. Saidat Oladunjoye, said the VitalReg platform became fully operational nationwide on July 1, 2026. She explained that the digital platform is designed to provide faster, more accessible registration services, improve the accuracy of demographic records, reduce processing delays, and support evidence-based planning for national development.
According to her, this year’s World Population Day theme highlights the need to invest in Nigeria’s growing youth population through quality education, healthcare, employment opportunities, social protection, and access to legal identity. Nigerian Politics Coverage
“Nigeria, with an estimated population of more than 238 million people, is the most populous country in Africa. Young people are a significant proportion of this population and remain one of the country’s greatest resources,” Mrs Oladunjoye said.
The Federal Commissioner, however, expressed concern about the low rate of birth and death registration in the country, warning that millions of Nigerians risk being denied legal identity, while gaps in vital registration continue to undermine the availability of reliable population data required for effective planning and the equitable distribution of resources.
To address these challenges, Oladunjoye said the Commission is strengthening collaboration with government agencies, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, and development partners to ensure that all births and deaths are properly registered.
She said, “The new digital CRVS platform would simplify the registration process, reduce paperwork, improve data security, shorten processing time and strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem. The NPC has entered strategic partnerships with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF and private technology partners to decentralise registration services and bring them closer to communities.” Nigerian Politics Coverage
While assuring Nigerians that birth registration remains highly subsidised, Oladunjoye urged parents and guardians to register every child immediately after birth. She also appealed to the media to sustain public awareness campaigns on population issues, youth development, and the importance of obtaining legal identity.
“The NPC will continue to partner with governments and development partners to build a modern civil registration system capable of generating credible demographic data for national planning and sustainable development,” she added.
