NPC kicks off full digital vital registration in Ebonyi

The National Population Commission (NPC) in Ebonyi State has announced the full commencement of digital registration of births and deaths across all 13 Local Government Areas of the state.

The Federal Commissioner representing Ebonyi State at the Commission, Jeremiah Ogbonna Nwankwegu, made this known on Thursday.

He said this at a news briefing in Abakaliki, the State capital, to mark the 2026 World Population Day.

Nwankwegu said the digitisation, under the Civic Registration and Vital Statistics, E-CRVS system, took effect from July 1, 2026.

It followed the national launch of the E-CRVS system and inauguration of the National Coordination Committee by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on November 8, 2023.

The Federal Commission warned members of the public to reject manually issued birth and death certificates, stressing that only digital certificates generated on the VitalReg platform will now be valid.

He said: “This is one of the most transformative reforms in the history of civic registration in Ebonyi State.

“It reflects our commitment to leveraging technology to improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and ensure that every birth and death occurring in Ebonyi is documented accurately and securely for planning.”

The Commissioner expressed concern over low registration rates in the state and nationwide. 

Nwankwegu said: “Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions go unregistered. 

“Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 percent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 percent.

“These gaps deprive many Ebonyians of legal identity and limit the availability of reliable data needed for effective planning.”

The Federal Commissioner urged citizens to take advantage of NPC registration centres in all 13 LGAs and the newly introduced self-service platform to register births and deaths and secure national identity for their children.

To boost coverage, Nwankwegu said NPC has signed partnership compacts with ALGON, NIMC, UNICEF, and Barnksforte Technologies Limited for the decentralisation and localization of birth registration and legal identity.

“The alliance is aimed at improving accessibility, enhancing operational efficiency, and strengthening grassroots participation in the civic registration process,” he noted.

He also said the Commission has strengthened collaboration with key state agencies and trained registration personnel to ensure prompt and accurate recording of all vital events on the VitalReg platform.

Nwankwegu called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, health workers, and other stakeholders to partner with NPC to ensure 100 percent registration of births and deaths in the state.

The 2026 World Population Day has as its theme: “Realising the hopes and aspirations of young people – today and for the future.”

𝕤𝕖𝕖 𝕞𝕠𝕣𝕖/𝕨𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕧𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕠 𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖