The National Population Commission (NPC) on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, announced the nationwide rollout of its online birth registration platform, allowing Nigerians to register births and deaths digitally without visiting registration centres in many cases.
NPC Chairman, Dr Aminu Yusuf, unveiled the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system and the VitalReg platform during a press briefing in Abuja, describing the initiative as a major step towards modernising Nigeria’s civil registration process.
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The platform became operational on July 1, 2026, across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, according to the commission.
“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 system,” Yusuf said.
He explained that the new online birth registration platform was designed to provide faster access to registration services, improve data accuracy, reduce paperwork and enable digital certificate issuance where applicable.
The NPC chairman added that the system would provide 24-hour online access while strengthening the security of Nigeria’s civil registration database.
“This digital innovation is one of the most transformative reforms in the history of civil registration in Nigeria,” Yusuf said, noting that the initiative reflects the commission’s commitment to using technology to improve public services and ensure accurate documentation of vital records.
Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, but a significant number of births and deaths remain undocumented.
Yusuf disclosed 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 reducing the availability of reliable demographic information for planning.
To address the gap, the commission has established 4,011 functional registration centres across the 774 local government areas in the country and plans to expand the network to about 8,000 centres.
The NPC is also working with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, the National Identity Management Commission, UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited to decentralise registration services and improve access at community level.
According to Yusuf, the VitalReg platform will connect with Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem and support the Federal Government’s wider digital transformation efforts.
He noted that some specialised services, including record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests, would attract reviewed fees to maintain the digital infrastructure.
However, he assured Nigerians that birth registration and birth notification services would remain highly subsidised to prevent access barriers.
“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,” Yusuf stated.
The NPC chairman urged parents and stakeholders to register births and deaths promptly, stressing that public participation would be essential to the success of the reform.
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He said the initiative would help guarantee legal identity for Nigerians, provide stronger demographic data and support evidence-based governance and national development.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
