NPC Begins Digital Birth, Death Registration In Kwara
The National Population Commission has commenced full digital registration of births and deaths across Kwara State under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system, in a move aimed at strengthening legal identity, improving demographic data and enhancing service delivery.
The new Federal Commissioner representing Kwara State at the NPC, Yahaya Alada, announced the rollout in Ilorin on Wednesday, saying the VitalReg platform became fully operational across the state’s 16 local government areas on July 1, 2026.
Alada, who was sworn into office by President Bola Tinubu on June 29, emphasized that the initiative marked a major milestone in the state’s civil registration system and followed the national launch of the E-CRVS system by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 8, 2023.
He said, “It is my distinct honour and privilege, on behalf of the National Population Commission, Kwara State, to formally announce the full commencement of the digital registration of births and deaths on the VitalReg platform under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.
“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.”
The commissioner said the reform was beyond administrative documentation, stressing that accurate registration remained essential for planning and governance.
“Civil registration is far more than an administrative process. It contributes to reliable state statistics that guide public policy and resource allocation,” he noted.
Alada lamented that many births and deaths in the state were still not being captured, a situation he said had denied many residents legal identity while weakening the availability of reliable demographic data.
“Kwara records an estimated thousand births annually, yet thousands of these births and deaths go unregistered. These uncovered birth registrations deprive many Kwarans of legal identity and limit the availability of reliable data needed for effective state planning.
“To address this challenge, the NPC has established 92 functional registration centres across the 16 Local Government Areas and is working to expand this network,” Alada said.
He added that the commission was strengthening collaboration with relevant stakeholders to improve the capacity of registration personnel and ensure all vital events were accurately captured through the digital platform.
“The Commission is also strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders to enhance the capacity of registration personnel and guarantee that all vital events are promptly and accurately recorded through the VitalReg platform.”
“The platform is designed to modernise birth and death documentation and improve citizens’ access to these services,” he said.
He listed some of the benefits of the system to include “faster and more efficient registration services, 24-hour online access to services, digital certificate issuance where applicable, reduced paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel, improved accuracy through automated data validation, and a more secure and credible state CRVS database.”
Alada further said the platform had been designed to integrate seamlessly with other government digital identity systems.
“The VitalReg platform has been designed for secure interoperability with government institutions across Kwara’s digital identity ecosystem, enhancing service delivery and promoting greater efficiency,” he said.
The commissioner also announced a partnership involving the commission, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria and the National Identity Management Commission to deepen birth registration at the grassroots.
He added, “This alliance aims to decentralise and localise registration services at the community level, improving accessibility, enhancing operational efficiency and strengthening grassroots participation in civil registration processes, ultimately improving data accuracy and inclusivity across the local government areas.”
Alada said the commission had reviewed charges for specialised administrative services to sustain the digital infrastructure.
“To sustain this infrastructure, the Commission has reviewed fees for certain specialised administrative services including record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests. These services require additional technical and administrative processing.
“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.
“The success of this historic reform depends on the active participation of all stakeholders and every Kwaran. I therefore call on all stakeholders to continue working with the Commission to ensure that all births and deaths are registered promptly,” he said.
The commissioner also appealed to local government councils to provide office accommodation and logistics support to strengthen the commission’s operations.
He appreciated the Kwara State Government, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and the media for supporting the commission’s activities over the years.
