NPC begins digital birth, death registration in Jigawa

The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced full digital registration of births and deaths across the 27 local government areas of Jigawa State, even as it called for increased investment in young people to unlock Nigeria’s demographic potential.

The Federal Commissioner representing Jigawa State in the NPC, Suleiman Umar, mni, made this known on Friday in Dutse during a press briefing to mark the 2026 World Population Day and formally announce the rollout of the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system in the state.

Umar said the digital registration, powered by the VitalReg platform, became operational on July 1, 2026, describing it as a landmark reform aimed at modernising Nigeria’s civil registration system and improving the generation of reliable demographic data for planning and governance.

According to him, the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Federal Government’s drive to strengthen digital governance and national identity management.

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He explained that the platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, improved data accuracy, reduced paperwork and waiting times, as well as a secure national database for births and deaths.

The Federal Commissioner lamented that although Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, millions of births and deaths still go unregistered.

He disclosed that birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent, while death registration remains below 20 per cent, stressing that these gaps undermine national planning and deny many Nigerians a legal identity.

To address the challenge, he said the Commission had established 4,011 registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and was working to expand the number to about 8,000.

Umar noted that the Commission had also partnered with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF, and Barnksforte Technologies Limited to decentralise registration services and improve access for communities nationwide.

He clarified that although fees had been reviewed for specialised services such as certificate reissuance, record modifications and verification requests, birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised to encourage universal registration.

Speaking on this year’s World Population Day theme, “Realising the hopes and aspirations of young people — today and in the future,” Umar urged governments at all levels to prioritise education, healthcare, skills acquisition and employment opportunities for young Nigerians.

He observed that Nigeria, with an estimated population of 238 million, has one of the world’s youngest populations, with people aged between 15 and 29 accounting for about 30 per cent of the country’s population.

According to him, youth unemployment, adolescent fertility, and the high number of out-of-school children remain major development concerns despite ongoing interventions.

The NPC commissioner, however, highlighted some of the Federal Government’s youth-focused initiatives, including the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), vocational training schemes, and expanded digital birth registration.

He reiterated the Commission’s call for a credible, technology-driven Population and Housing Census, saying effective planning and the equitable distribution of resources depend on accurate and up-to-date demographic data.

“We cannot plan for a population we do not accurately count. A credible census remains the most effective tool for evidence-based planning and sustainable national development,” he said.

Earlier, the NPC State Director, Mrs Hannatu Musa Ma’aji, welcomed the newly appointed Federal Commissioner to the Jigawa State office, expressing confidence that his leadership would strengthen civil registration, improve data quality, and deepen collaboration with stakeholders across the state.

She assured the Commissioner of the support and commitment of the Commission’s staff to advancing birth registration, demographic data collection, and evidence-based planning in Jigawa State.