Reps Push for Nationwide Digital Civil Registration to Modernise Birth, Death, and Marriage Records

The House of Representatives has called for the creation of a fully digital civil registration system to record births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events across Nigeria, describing accurate population data as essential for effective planning and governance.

Speaker of the House, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday while declaring open a public hearing on a Bill to repeal and re-enact the Births, Deaths, etc. (Compulsory Registration) Act.

Abbas said the proposed legislation aims to modernise Nigeria’s outdated civil registration framework by introducing a secure electronic system for collecting, managing, and sharing vital statistics.

“Accurate and timely registration of births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events is the bedrock of sound governance,” the Speaker said. “The existing Act was designed for a pre-digital era. With rapid population growth and data-driven policymaking, Nigeria must now adopt a system that meets global standards.”

He added that a digital registration platform would curb duplication and fraud, enhance access to vital records, and strengthen identity management across government institutions.

Chairman of the House Committee on Population, Hon. Odimayo Okunjimi, also described the current law as obsolete and incapable of supporting modern governance needs.

According to him, “This bill seeks to create a unified, technology-driven framework for registering births, deaths, marriages, divorces, adoptions, and other vital events. It will clearly define institutional roles and improve coordination between the National Population Commission (NPC), state registries, and local government councils.”

Okunjimi stressed that reforming Nigeria’s vital registration system was “a national imperative,” adding that a modernised framework would enhance national security, strengthen identity management, and support data-driven development.

Similarly, NPC Federal Commissioner representing Adamawa State, Clifford Zirra, lauded the initiative, saying the amendment was long overdue. “This reform comes at a crucial time as the commission integrates digital technology into its operations. It will promote interoperability across government platforms and address long-standing implementation gaps,” he said.

Zirra revealed that the NPC, in collaboration with UNICEF and private consultants, had been reviewing the legislation to align it with global best practices and the commission’s mandate.

Legal consultant to the committee, Celestial Nwabueze, noted that the bill provides a clear legal basis for establishing a national digital civil registry that will replace outdated laws and strengthen Nigeria’s capacity for data-based policy formulation and security management.

Despite previous reform efforts, Nigeria’s civil registration system remains one of the weakest in the world. Millions of births and deaths go unrecorded each year, undermining the reliability of national statistics and complicating social service planning.

According to UNICEF and the NPC, only about 57% of births and less than 20% of deaths are officially registered nationwide, with even lower rates in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

Experts have blamed the low registration rates on outdated laws, poor infrastructure, fragmented data systems, limited public awareness, and weak enforcement.

Without accurate vital statistics, the government struggles to determine population size, age distribution, fertility and mortality rates, or effectively plan for education, health, and social services. Weak identity management also poses national security risks, enabling fraud, crime, and terrorism.

In recent years, the NPC, in partnership with UNICEF and other development agencies, has piloted digital registration and mobile-based systems with promising results. However, nationwide rollout has been hindered by funding constraints, coordination challenges, and legal bottlenecks.