PRESIDENT Bola Ahmed Tinubu has launched the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (e-CRVS), alongside the National Geospatial Data Repository and the National Coordination Committee on CRVS.
The launch was conducted in partnership with the National Population Commission (NPC), United Nations Population Fund (UNICEF), and Barnksforte Technologies Limited at the State House on Wednesday, November 8.
Tinubu emphasised that the launch signified another important stride in his administration’s commitment to producing precise and dependable demographic data in Nigeria, adding that it would improve the ability of the federal agencies to generate vital statistics.
According to him, the CRVS system is the fundamental cornerstone of an identity ecosystem that will enhance service delivery, care, and information for Nigerians.
It is set to become a crucial source of identity data across federal agencies, including the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), and other security organisations.
While pledging support for the NPC to conduct the planned national population census exercise, Tinubu said the nation’s population should be its greatest asset.
The President further urged government ministries, departments, and agencies to cooperate more in providing adequate data needed for planning and appealed to development partners for their support.
Tinubu hoped that the current drive to reposition the vital registration system would provide the basis for the complete attainment of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets by the country with respect to real-time identity management and population data.
“For me, at this time, the commission has made substantial progress in its quest to deliver the first digital population and housing census. It is my hope that the result of the census will provide the nation with much-needed data for development planning and the enthronement of good governance.”
He further called on the NPC to deploy its cutting-edge technology, especially the geospatial data collected through the enumeration area, and demarcation in implementing the -CRVS.
“Collecting accurate and reliable information on the size distribution, composition, and characteristics of the population is an essential governance activity which is also consistent with our renewed hope agenda.
“The commission will, therefore, be supported in the conduct of this next census,” he added.
Similarly, a statement by UNICEF today said the launch marked a decisive step toward enhancing Nigeria’s civil registration and vital statistics system, underpinning the nation’s commitment to achieving SDGs 16.9.2 for legal identity for all.
Speaking at the launch, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, expressed delight over the development, noting that the “digitizing civil registration in Nigeria transcends technology; it’s a pledge to future generations.”
According to her, every child’s existence will be acknowledged, marking a new era where every significant life event informs the nation’s development.
The statement added that the initiative aligned with the United Nations Legal Identity Agenda and the African Ministers’ Conference resolutions in Addis Ababa, advocating for a technological shift in data generation.
Earlier, in his remark, the NPC chairman, Nasir Kwarra, said the event was to emphasize the current government’s commitment to strengthening civil registration data capturing, collation, and processing.
“The aim of this high-level event is to emphasize the commitment of the current government and leadership to strengthen civil registration data capturing, collation, processing, dissemination, and timely access to vital statistics in the country.
“It is to accelerate the improved civil registration and vital statistics systems in Nigeria over a period of ten years, from 2023 to 2030, in a bid to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG):16.9.2 – legal identity for all, including birth registration”.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M