By
Hannah Akanta
National Population Commission, NPC in Taraba State, has launched the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system, e-CRVS, to improve the registration of births and deaths through a digital platform.
Speaking at the launch in Jalingo the Taraba State capital, Federal Commissioner of National Population Commission, Sanny Sale said the initiative would make birth and death registration faster, more efficient and accessible, while providing reliable data to support national planning and development.
He noted that although Nigeria records about five million births every year, many go unregistered. He added that in Nigeria, birth registration coverage is currently about 57 percent, while less than 20 percent of deaths are officially recorded.
According to Sale, the new VitalReg platform will simplify the registration process by reducing paperwork and waiting time, improving data accuracy through digital validation, and enabling the issuance of digital certificates.
The Federal Commissioner said the digital system is currently operational in all sixteen local government areas of Taraba State, with fifty-six registration centres now in use and plans to expand the number to one hundred and sixty-eight to make the service more accessible.
Sale explained that the Commission is working with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, ALGON, the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, UNICEF, and other partners to strengthen birth and death registration, especially at the community level.
He noted that the introduction of the VitalReg platform marks the end of the manual registration system, adding that only certificates issued through the digital platform will be recognised henceforth.
The Federal Commissioner urged parents, traditional rulers, community leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure that every birth and death is registered promptly, saying accurate records are important for effective planning and sustainable national development.
In a welcome address, Acting Director of the National Pupolation Commission in Taraba State, Hajiya Hadiza Abubakar pointed out that the success of the initiative would largely depend on effective public awareness, calling on the media to partner with the Commission in educating citizens and promoting widespread acceptance of the new system.
In their separate goodwill messages, Executive Secretary of the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Nuhu Nyigwa, Chairman of Jalingo Local Government Council, Nura Dantsoho, and representative of the National Identity Management Commission, all pledged to partner with NPC to ensure the success of birth and death registration in the state.
