From Taiye Joseph, Ilorin
The National Population Commission (NPC), has commenced the full digital registration of births and deaths across all 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State, describing the initiative as a major step towards improving legal identity, data management and public service delivery.
Speaking at a press briefing in Ilorin, the Federal Commissioner representing Kwara State at the NPC, Dr. Yahaya Alada, announced that the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, powered by the VitalReg platform, officially became operational across the state from July 1, 2026.
Alada said the transition to a fully digital system would ensure faster registration, improve the credibility of demographic records and provide government with reliable statistics for planning and development.
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“This digital innovation is one of the most transformative reforms in the history of civil registration in Kwara State. It reflects the Commission’s unwavering commitment to leveraging technology to improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity, and guarantee that every birth and every death occurring in Kwara is documented accurately and securely,” he said.
According to him, the initiative follows the national launch of the E-CRVS system by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 8, 2023, and forms part of ongoing efforts to modernise Nigeria’s civil registration process.
The commissioner expressed concern that despite the high number of births recorded annually in Kwara, many births and deaths still go unregistered, depriving affected residents of legal identity while limiting the availability of reliable demographic data required for policy formulation and resource allocation.
To address the challenge, he disclosed that the commission has established 92 functional registration centres across the state and is expanding the network to improve access to registration services.
He explained that the VitalReg platform would provide round-the-clock online access to registration services, reduce paperwork and waiting time, improve data accuracy through automated validation and support digital issuance of certificates where applicable.
“The platform will deliver faster and more efficient registration services, improve accuracy, reduce unnecessary travel and provide a more secure and credible Civil Registration and Vital Statistics database,” Alada stated.
He added that the digital platform has been designed to integrate with other government institutions within Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem to enhance service delivery and strengthen data sharing.
The NPC commissioner also announced a partnership involving the commission, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to decentralise birth registration and legal identity services to the grassroots.
He said the collaboration would improve accessibility, increase community participation and ensure more inclusive and accurate registration across the state’s local government areas.
Alada disclosed that the commission has reviewed charges for specialised administrative services such as record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests to support the sustainability of the digital infrastructure.
However, he assured residents that birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised.
“Let me assure Kwarans 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,” he said.
He appealed to the Kwara State Government, local government councils and other stakeholders to sustain their support for the commission, particularly through the provision of office accommodation and logistics.
The commissioner also acknowledged the contributions of healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and the media towards strengthening civil registration in the state.
Calling on residents to embrace the new system, Alada said the success of the reform depends on collective participation.
“Together, we can build a modern civil registration system that guarantees every Kwaran a legal identity from birth, provides credible demographic data for state development, and supports effective governance and evidence-based planning,” he said.
