NPC begins full digital birth, death registration in 23 LGAs of Benue

By Tolu Temidire

The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced full digital registration of births and deaths in Benue State under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, with registration services now available across the state's 23 local government areas through 79 registration centres.

The Federal Commissioner representing Benue State in the NPC, Barr. Patricia Iyanya Kupchi, announced the commencement of the exercise at a press briefing in Makurdi, describing the initiative as a major step towards strengthening civil registration, improving demographic data and ensuring that every birth and death in the state is captured through a secure, technology-driven platform.

She disclosed that the digital registration exercise, which became fully operational on July 1, 2026, covers all 273 council wards in Benue as part of the nationwide rollout of the E-CRVS system directed by the Commission's headquarters.

According to Kupchi, the initiative is built on the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System launched by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in November 2023 to modernise Nigeria's civil registration and identity management system, as well as improve public service delivery through digital technology.

The Commissioner noted that birth and death registration goes beyond the issuance of certificates, stressing that it guarantees every child a legal identity, protects citizens' rights and provides government with credible demographic data for planning in critical sectors such as education, healthcare, security, social welfare and economic development.

She expressed concern that despite previous efforts, many births and deaths across communities in the state remain unregistered, a situation she said undermines individual rights and effective government planning.

"The National Population Commission has registration centres in all the 23 local government areas, and we are working to bring these services even closer to communities so that no child or family is left behind," she said.

Kupchi explained that the newly introduced VitalReg platform, Nigeria's official digital civil registration system, would make registration faster, easier and more secure through both self-service and assisted-service options.

She said the platform would reduce paperwork, improve data validation, strengthen the security of personal records and provide a more reliable database for national development planning.

The Commissioner added that the digital platform had been designed to integrate with other government identity management systems, thereby improving coordination among relevant institutions and enhancing the efficiency of public service delivery.

Kupchi further disclosed that the NPC had partnered with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited to decentralise birth registration and legal identity services to the grassroots.

She said the partnership would improve access to registration services, strengthen community participation and enhance data accuracy and inclusiveness across the 273 council wards in Benue State.

The Federal Commissioner commended stakeholders for supporting the successful implementation of the initiative.

"On behalf of the National Population Commission, Benue State Office, I sincerely appreciate the Benue State Government, local government councils, development partners, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations, our technical partners and the media for their continued support towards strengthening civil registration in our state.

"I equally commend the dedication and commitment of the management and staff of the National Population Commission in Benue State, whose hard work has contributed to the successful implementation of this important initiative.

"To members of the media, I express my sincere appreciation for your professionalism and partnership over the years. Your role in educating the public and promoting awareness of birth and death registration is invaluable. I urge you to continue helping us spread the message that every birth and every death counts.

"As we commence this new digital era, I encourage every resident of Benue State to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the VitalReg platform by ensuring that all births and deaths are registered without delay.

"Together, we can build a modern, reliable and inclusive civil registration system that guarantees every child a legal identity, provides accurate demographic data for planning and supports sustainable development in Benue State and Nigeria."

Calling for public support, Kupchi urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, healthcare workers, local government authorities, civil society organisations and the media to intensify awareness campaigns to encourage families to promptly register every birth and death.

She assured residents that birth registration remains highly subsidised in line with the Commission's policy of achieving universal birth registration under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9, noting that only specialised services such as corrections, certificate re-issuance, attestations and verification requests would attract administrative charges.

Also speaking, the former Secretary of the Commission and Chairman of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Benue State Chapter, as well as Lead of the Onah Adeyi International Disability Centre (OAIDC), commended the commencement of the exercise and praised the Federal Commissioner for promoting inclusiveness by ensuring that persons with disabilities are fully accommodated in the digital registration process.

The highlight of the event was the practical demonstration of the VitalReg platform by Barr. Kupchi, who ensured the successful registration of one-month-old Ikpanyar Awai, showcasing the seamless digital birth registration process under the new system.