NPC Begins Digital Birth, Death Registration In Kogi

The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced full digital registration of births and deaths in Kogi State as part of the nationwide rollout of its Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, known as the VitalReg platform.

The federal commissioner representing Kogi State at the NPC, Hon. (Engr.) Yori Afolabi, disclosed this on Tuesday during a press briefing, describing the initiative as a major step towards modernising Nigeria’s civil registration and vital statistics system.

Afolabi said the digital registration exercise, which took effect from July 1, 2026, is part of a nationwide reform initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following the launch of the E-CRVS system and inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in November 2023.

According to him, the VitalReg platform is now operational across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, providing a seamless digital process for the registration of births and deaths.

He expressed concern that despite an estimated five million births recorded annually in Nigeria, a significant number remain unregistered.

He noted that birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent, limiting access to legal identity and affecting national planning.

To address the challenge, the Commissioner said the Commission has established 4,011 registration centres across the 774 local government areas of the country, with plans to increase the number to about 8,000 to improve access to registration services.

Afolabi explained that the VitalReg platform provides faster and more efficient services through 24-hour online access, automated data validation, digital certificate issuance where applicable, reduced paperwork and waiting time, as well as a secure database that can integrate with other government digital identity platforms.

He further disclosed that the Commission has 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 expand access to legal identity services at the grassroots.

According to him, Barnksforte Technologies is serving as the Commission’s technical partner under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, providing system maintenance, cybersecurity and continuous platform upgrades.

The federal commissioner also announced a review of fees for specialised administrative services, including record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests, saying the adjustment is aimed at sustaining the Commission’s digital infrastructure.

He, however, assured Nigerians that birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised, stressing that the revised charges would not affect access to essential civil registration services.

Afolabi called on state and local governments, health institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support the Commission’s efforts to ensure that every birth and death is registered promptly.

He also commended the media, particularly members of the NPC Press Corps, for supporting the Commission’s public enlightenment campaigns, reaffirming its commitment to digital transformation, improved data quality and efficient service delivery.