NPC Reports 60% Birth Registration Rate in Nigeria

The National Population Commission (NPC) has revealed that 60% of births in Nigeria remain unregistered, as stated by NPC chairman Dr Aminu Yusuf during a media briefing in Abuja to mark the 2026 Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day. Annually, over five million children are born in Nigeria, yet only about 40% of these births are officially registered.

To address this issue, Yusuf called for stronger partnerships, public awareness, and community participation. He announced that Nigeria will transition to a fully digital Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system on July 1, 2026, through the VitalReg platform, which will replace manual registration.

This digital shift aims to improve security, efficiency, and accessibility of civil registration. The NPC has over 4,000 functional registration centers and plans to expand to approximately 8,000 centers nationwide.

Additionally, the NPC entered a Partnership Compact Agreement in January 2025 with various organizations to decentralize civil registration and improve access.