Most deaths go undocumented as Nigeria records 5m births yearly – NPC

The National Population Commission (NPC) has expressed concern that despite Nigeria producing around five million births annually, a significant number of deaths remain unrecorded. Clifford Zira, a Federal Commissioner at NPC, disclosed this at an event in Yola. He further revealed that births are not always registered either, with birth registration covering only 57 percent of the population nationwide, and death documentation falling short at less than 20 percent.

The NPC official emphasized the necessity for regular birth and death registration by the appropriate authorities, citing the need for continuous registration practices to improve civil registration. To address this issue, the NPC has launched the digital registration of births and deaths across Adamawa State, utilizing the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system.

This initiative was initiated in the 21 local government areas of Adamawa State at the start of the month, aiming to bolster civil registration and enhance the generation of statistics to inform public policy and resource allocation.

Zira explained that the digital registration system has been operational since the beginning of the month in all 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Adamawa State. He further highlighted that the NPC has established 4,011 functional registration centers nationwide to bridge the gap in registration. In his statement, the NPC State Director, Jummai Hassan, expressed regret over the low level of death registration in Adamawa State.

She described the digital registration initiative as one of the most significant reforms in the history of civil registration in Nigeria.