The National Population Commission (NPC) has launched a nationwide digital platform that enables Nigerians to register births and deaths online and obtain certificates electronically, marking a major step in modernising the country's civil registration system.
NPC Chairman, Dr Aminu Yusuf, announced the rollout of the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system and its VitalReg platform during a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday.
According to Yusuf, the platform became fully operational across Nigeria's 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on July 1, 2026.
He described the initiative as a landmark reform that would transform the registration of births and deaths by providing faster, more secure and efficient services.
"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," Yusuf said.
He explained that the digital platform offers round-the-clock online access, electronic certificate issuance where applicable, stronger data validation and a more secure national civil registration database.
The new system is also expected to reduce paperwork, shorten processing time and eliminate 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 added.
Yusuf noted that although Nigeria records an estimated five million births every year, millions of births and deaths still go unregistered.
He disclosed that birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent, leaving many citizens without legal identity and depriving the country of accurate demographic data needed for effective planning and governance.
To address the gap, the NPC has established 4,011 functional registration centres across all 774 local government areas and plans to expand the network to about 8,000 centres nationwide.
The commission has also partnered with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited to decentralise birth registration and legal identity services to communities across the country.
Yusuf said the VitalReg platform is integrated with Nigeria's digital identity ecosystem to improve public service delivery and support the Federal Government's digital transformation agenda.
While specialised services such as record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests will attract revised administrative fees to support the digital infrastructure, he assured Nigerians 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.
The NPC chairman urged parents, guardians, healthcare providers and other stakeholders to promptly register births and deaths, stressing that broad public participation is essential to the success of the reform.
He said the initiative would help ensure that every Nigerian has a legal identity from birth while providing credible demographic data to strengthen governance, national development and evidence-based policymaking.
