Nigeria Accelerates Digitalization of Birth and Death Registrations

The NPC introduced the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (e-CRVS) in November, inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu. This digital platform covers various registrations, including births, stillbirths, birth attestations, adoptions, marriage notifications, divorce notifications, migration, and deaths.

How e-CRVS works

Nasir Kwarra, the head of NPC, emphasized that the e-CRVS aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to enhance the automation of citizens’ identity databases, reflecting the resolutions of the 2022 African Ministers Conference. The African Conference of Ministers aims to guide countries toward holistic, innovative, and integrated digital identity management systems to address identity gaps on the continent.

Mr. Kwarra detailed that the e-CRVS issues electronic certificates for different registrations, providing corporate organizations access for data verification through a central management system. This system analyzes civil registrations into vital statistics, facilitating informed decision-making.

The shift from traditional paper-based recording to a state-of-the-art digital solution adheres to international best practices, according to Mr. Kwarra. He expressed confidence that the e-CRVS system will revolutionize how critical events such as births, marriages, and deaths are documented, tracked, and analyzed in Nigeria.

In support of e-CRVS implementation, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) mandated Nigerians seeking to modify their National Identification Number (NIN) database’s date of birth to provide an e-CRVS certificate from the National Population Commission. NIMC issued new guidelines on December 24, stating that date of birth modifications require obtaining an e-CRVS from NPC before presenting it to NIMC.

The NIN serves as Nigeria’s foundational identity, and the guidelines limit date of birth modifications to once in a lifetime, enforceable only at NIMC enrollment centers. NIMC CEO Abisoye Coker-Odusote emphasized the importance of the NIN as the sole acceptable legal form of identity. The move toward digital birth registrations aligns with Nigeria’s commitment to advancing identity management and ensuring accurate and efficient documentation of vital events.