The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced the full digital registration of births and deaths across Kwara State, describing the initiative as a major step toward guaranteeing legal identity for residents and improving the quality of demographic data for planning and governance.
Speaking at a press briefing in Ilorin, the Federal Commissioner representing Kwara State at the NPC, Dr. Yahaya Isiaka Alada, announced that the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, powered by the VitalReg platform, became fully operational across the state’s 16 local government areas on 1 July 2026, in line with the nationwide rollout.
Alada described the digital transition as one of the most significant reforms in the state’s civil registration system, saying it would ensure that every birth and death in Kwara is accurately documented through a secure and technology-driven platform.
“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,” he said.
According to him, the new platform will provide faster registration services, round-the-clock online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, reduced paperwork and waiting time, improved data validation, and a more secure database to support government planning and service delivery.
Alada noted that while Kwara records thousands of births annually, many births and deaths are still not officially registered, depriving affected residents of legal identity and limiting the availability of reliable data required for effective planning.
To improve coverage, he disclosed that the commission has established 92 functional registration centres across the 16 local government areas and is expanding the network while strengthening the capacity of registration personnel.
He added that the VitalReg platform is designed to work seamlessly with other government digital identity systems, making public service delivery more efficient.
The commissioner also revealed that the NPC has entered into a partnership with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to decentralise birth registration and legal identity services to the grassroots, making registration more accessible to communities.
While announcing a review of fees for specialised administrative services such as record modifications, certificate reissuance, attestations and verification requests to sustain the digital infrastructure, Alada assured residents that birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidised.
“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,” he said.
He appealed to parents, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and the media to support the campaign by encouraging prompt registration of all births and deaths.
Alada also appreciated the Kwara State Government, local government councils, healthcare institutions, development partners and the media for their continued support, while urging local councils to provide office accommodation and logistics to strengthen the commission’s operations across the state.
He said the success of the digital registration programme would provide every Kwaran with a legal identity from birth while generating credible population data to support evidence-based policies and sustainable development.
(Board Room)
