From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has given the National Population Commission (NPC) two years to enhanced civil registration systems in the country, noting that the integration of the civil registration system systems facilitates more efficient and targeted service delivery across various sectors-be it education, social welfare, or electoral processes.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, said this on the occasion to mark Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day, emphasising the urgent need for enhanced civil registration systems across the continent.
Munduate while highlighting the theme of this year: “Strengthening the Linkage of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics to Legal Identity Systems through Digitalization for Enhanced Inclusion”, said: “This day is not just a commemoration; it is a call to action”.
She pointed out that integrating digital systems is essential for creating reliable population data, which is crucial for effective governance and service delivery.
She added that, “Legal identity is a fundamental human right,” stressing its importance for marginalized children often excluded from vital services.
The UNICEF Country Rep, urged stakeholders to reflect on their systems and foster partnerships to accelerate progress. “Together, we can drive positive change and promote inclusion,” she concluded, calling for renewed commitment to this vital cause.
Munduate noted that annually eight million children are born in the country, noting and the idea is to have birth registration for children born in a year.
She admitted that the challenge is huge as NPC improved registration of 57 percent compared to 47 percent in 2022 was still a far cry in terms of coverage.
She said there’s need for every birth in every maternity in the country to be registered, saying: “ The whole idea is to cooperate with the health system to have this introduced. It’s not just the federal commitment but we have to see the support from the states as well. And support doesn’t only means saying yes but translating into concrete actions.”
The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Nasir Kwarra, who was represented highlighted the benefits and progress of Nigeria’s electronic CRVS (e-CRVS) system launched in November 2023.
He announced NPC plans to increase birth registration to 70 percent by 2025 with Digital CRVS System
One of the main advantages of having accurate and reliable population data, according to Kwarra, is that it ensures the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of vital events such as births, deaths, and marriages. This data, he admitted supports the governance of the entire country, which is crucial given Nigeria’s rapidly growing population.
He said the commission has already seen an increase in birth registration coverage from 47% in 2022 to 57% currently. However, he said death registration remains a challenge. The Commission, he added is working closely with the Federal Ministry of Health and its agencies, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO), to improve death registration coverage.
Kwarra emphasised the importance of improving death registration, as many agencies, such as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), rely on NPC data to update their records.