The National Population Commission has commenced nationwide digital registration of births and deaths as part of efforts to improve identity documentation and strengthen national planning.
Chairman of the commission, Aminu Yussuf, announced the commencement of the programme during an event in Minna, Niger State.
Yussuf said approximately five million births occur in Nigeria each year, but a large number are not officially registered.
According to him, birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent, while fewer than 20 per cent of deaths are formally documented.
He warned that the gaps deny many Nigerians legal identities and weaken the reliability of demographic information required for development planning and resource allocation.
The commission has established 4,011 functional registration centers across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
Plans are underway to expand the number to approximately 8,000.
The digital registration is being implemented through the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system and the Vital Reg platform.
Yussuf described the programme as one of the most significant reforms undertaken by the commission.
He said it would improve service delivery, strengthen the integrity of population data and ensure that births and deaths are securely documented.
The chairman explained that civil registration was not merely an administrative requirement but an important source of statistics for public policy, budgeting and national development.
Several newborn babies were officially registered during the launch in Minna.
