In a massive leap toward modernizing civil administration, the National Population Commission (NPC) has officially rolled out the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, allowing Nigerians to register births, deaths, and obtain certificates directly online.

NPC Chairman, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, announced the immediate commencement of this transformative platform at a briefing in Abuja. The digital system went fully operational across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Dr. Yusuf described the innovation as one of the most significant reforms in the history of Nigeria`s civil registration. By leveraging technology, the commission aims to eliminate the historical bottlenecks that have plagued birth and death documentation.

Previously, millions of vital events went undocumented due to geographic and bureaucratic hurdles. Current national estimates indicate that Nigeria records roughly five million births annually, yet birth registration coverage hovers at 57%, while death registration sits below 20%.

The new NPC Birth Registration Self-service platform provides Nigerians with round-the-clock online access, eliminating the need to physically visit registration centers for basic procedures. This is expected to drastically reduce wait times, paperwork, and unnecessary travel.

To ensure that rural and underserved areas are not left behind, the NPC has established 4,011 functional registration centers across the country`s 774 local government areas. The commission is actively working to expand this network to approximately 8,000 community-level centers.

To achieve this decentralization, the NPC has forged strategic partnerships with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF, and Barnksforte Technologies Limited.

According to the NPC, the new system is fully integrated into Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem. Every digitally registered newborn will be automatically assigned a National Identification Number (NIN), while the system will streamline data sharing among authorized agencies .

While basic birth registration and notification services remain highly subsidized to encourage universal coverage, certain specialized administrative tasks—such as record modifications, attestations, and certificate reissuance—will attract reviewed fees to sustain the digital infrastructure .

Dr. Yusuf strongly urged parents and all relevant stakeholders to ensure prompt registration, emphasizing that credible demographic data is vital for effective national planning. He maintained that accurate records are the bedrock of effective governance and evidence-based development.