By Peter Duru, Makurdi The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced full digital registration of births and deaths in Benue State under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system, with the exercise now operational across the state’s 23 local government areas, 273 council wards and 79 registration centres. The Federal Commissioner representing Benue State at the NPC, Barr. Patricia Iyanya Kupchi, announced the rollout in Makurdi, describing the initiative as a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s civil registration system and ensuring that every birth and death in the state is documented through a secure, technology-driven platform known as VitalReg.
According to her, the digital registration became fully operational on July 1, 2026, following a directive from the NPC headquarters as part of the nationwide implementation of the E-CRVS system. She said, “This marks a major milestone in our efforts to strengthen civil registration, improve the quality of demographic data and ensure that every birth and every death occurring in Benue State is properly recorded through a modern, secure and technology-driven system.” Kupchi explained that the initiative followed the launch of the E-CRVS system by President Bola Tinubu in November 2023, noting that it underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to digital innovation, improved identity management and efficient public service delivery. She stressed that civil registration extends beyond the issuance of birth and death certificates, saying it guarantees every child a legal identity, protects citizens’ rights and provides government with credible demographic data for planning in education, healthcare, security, social welfare and economic development.
“Although significant progress has been made over the years, many births and deaths in our communities are still not registered. This affects not only the rights of individuals but also government planning and resource allocation. It is therefore important that every birth and every death is registered promptly,” she said.
The commissioner said the VitalReg platform would simplify registration by providing faster services, stronger protection of personal records, reduced paperwork, improved digital validation of information and a more reliable database for development planning at the state and national levels.
Summary from source