- NPC launched the nationwide VitalReg Platform for digital birth and death registration.
- The Commission aims to expand registration centres from 4,011 to about 8,000 nationwide.
- Hon. Saidat Oladunjoye urged greater investment in youth development and universal access to legal identity.
The National Population Commission (NPC), Lagos State Office, has officially commenced the nationwide implementation of full digital birth and death registration through the VitalReg Platform, marking a significant milestone in Nigeria’s drive towards a modern and efficient Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the announcement was made by the Honourable Federal Commissioner representing Lagos State at the NPC, Hon. (Mrs.) Saidat Olayinka Oladunjoye, during a press briefing held to commemorate the 2026 World Population Day, themed: “Realizing the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People—Today and for the Future.”
Addressing journalists, Hon. Oladunjoye delivered the address of the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, reaffirming the Commission’s commitment to strengthening legal identity, civil registration and evidence-based national planning through digital innovation.
She noted that Nigeria’s estimated population of over 238 million people, with a predominantly youthful demographic, presents enormous opportunities for national growth if supported with quality education, healthcare, employment opportunities, social protection and access to legal identity.
According to her, investing in young people remains essential to unlocking the country’s development potential and ensuring sustainable economic growth.
The Federal Commissioner expressed concern over the country’s low birth and death registration rates, revealing that although Nigeria records approximately five million births annually, only about 57 percent are officially registered, while death registration remains below 20 percent.
To address this challenge, she announced that the VitalReg Platform became fully operational nationwide on July 1, 2026, offering Nigerians faster, safer and technology-driven registration services.
She disclosed that the Commission has established 4,011 registration centres across the 774 Local Government Areas of the country and is expanding the network to about 8,000 centres to bring registration services closer to communities.
Hon. Oladunjoye also highlighted strategic partnerships between the Commission and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF and Barnksforte Technologies Limited, aimed at decentralising birth registration and expanding access to legal identity services nationwide.
While announcing a review of fees for selected specialised administrative services, she assured Nigerians that birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised, reflecting the Commission’s commitment to achieving universal civil registration.
She called on the media and other stakeholders to support initiatives that promote youth development, legal identity, digital transformation and the use of credible demographic data for effective governance and sustainable national development.
The event featured an interactive question-and-answer session, during which Hon. Oladunjoye responded to questions from journalists on the implementation of the VitalReg Platform and other population-related issues.
Among those in attendance were the NPC Lagos State Director, Mr. Sherifdeen Kekere-Ekun, the Technical Adviser to the Honourable Federal Commissioner, members of the Lagos State Management Team, Deputy Chief Registrars (DCRs) and representatives of various media organisations.
The programme concluded with a group photograph featuring the Honourable Federal Commissioner, the management team, Deputy Chief Registrars and members of the media.
