The Federal Government has officially commenced the nationwide digital registration of births and deaths under its new Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, marking a major step in Nigeria’s effort to modernise civil registration and expand access to legal identity.
Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr. Aminu Yusuf, announced the rollout during a press briefing in Abuja, describing the initiative as a significant milestone in improving the country’s vital statistics and strengthening national planning.
According to Dr. Yusuf, the new VitalReg platform became fully operational across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory on July 1, 2026. He said the system is designed to ensure that every birth and death in Nigeria is captured through a secure, technology-driven process that reduces delays and improves data accuracy.
Importantly, the Federal Government confirmed that birth certificates will remain free for children aged zero to five years, a policy aimed at encouraging early registration and ensuring that every Nigerian child begins life with a recognized legal identity.
Dr. Yusuf noted that Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, but only about 57 percent are officially registered. Death registration, he added, remains below 20 percent, creating significant gaps in population data, social planning, and access to essential services.
To improve coverage, the NPC has established more than 4,000 registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas, with plans to expand the network to about 8,000 centres nationwide.
The VitalReg platform is expected to deliver faster registration services, 24-hour online access, reduced paperwork, improved record management, and digital certificate issuance where applicable. Officials say the system will also create a more secure national database and reduce the risk of duplicate or inaccurate records.
Dr. Yusuf explained that the platform has been integrated with Nigeria’s broader digital identity ecosystem, supporting the Federal Government’s ongoing digital transformation agenda. The integration is expected to make it easier for citizens to access government programmes, healthcare, education, financial services, and other public services that require verified identity records.
Policy experts say the initiative could significantly improve Nigeria’s demographic data and help government agencies make better decisions on education, healthcare, social protection, and infrastructure development.
The NPC urged parents, guardians, healthcare providers, and community leaders to take advantage of the free registration window for children under five and ensure that births and deaths are reported promptly through the nearest registration centre or approved digital channels.
Officials believe the nationwide rollout of VitalReg represents a major step toward achieving universal civil registration and building a more reliable national identity system for all Nigerians.