The National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced state-wide digital birth and death registration exercise in Zamfara State and called for stakeholders’ support.
The Federal Commissioner of the Commission in charge of Zamfara, Rt. Hon. Nasiru Mu’zu Magarya announced this in Gusau on Tuesday at the commencement of the exercise under the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system.
Magarya a former Speaker of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, noted that every Nigerian was a stakeholder and had a greater role to play in ensuring that all births and deaths were registered promptly.
“Let me reiterate the commission’s commitment to strengthening civil registration and vital statistics as a key pillar of our Seven-Point Agenda, particularly in the areas of digital transformation, data quality, stakeholder engagement, and improved service delivery.
“This marks the next critical step in our collective efforts to build a modern, efficient, and technology-driven civil registration system that meets international standards and supports Mr President’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“This is in line with the Federal Government’s broader digital transformation agenda, and strengthens the country’s efforts towards an integrated and inclusive national identity management system,” he said.
According to him, the digital innovation is one of the most transformative reforms in the history of civil registration in Nigeria.
“Beyond technology, successful implementation requires deep collaboration.
“The NPC has officially signed a partnership compact on the Decentralization and Localization of Birth Registration and Legal Identity with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), UNICEF, and Barnksforte Technologies Limited.
“This alliance aims to decentralize and localize registration services at the community level, improving accessibility, enhancing operational efficiency, and strengthening grassroots participation in civil registration processes and ultimately improving data accuracy and inclusivity across the country.
“As we commence this new phase of full digital transition, services will progressively be delivered through the VitalReg platform to guarantee greater efficiency, transparency, and improved service delivery to all Nigerians.
“To sustain this infrastructure, the Commission has reviewed fees for certain specialized administrative services including record modifications,certificate reissuance, attestations, and verification requests.
“These services require additional technical and administrative processing. These measures are intended to guarantee the continued viability of the services.
“Let me assure Nigerians that this review is not intended to create barriers to access. Birth registration and birth notification services remain highly subsidized, in line with the Commission’s commitment to achieving universal registration.
“To guarantee reliability, security, and nationwide availability, the platform is being operated under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement with Barnksforte Technologies Ltd, a Nigerian IT solution provider serving as the Commission’s technical partner, ensuring continuous system availability, cybersecurity protection, and technological improvements,” he said.
He called on stakeholders in the state including traditional, religious and community leaders, government at all levels and the media to give maximum cooperation to ensure the success of the exercise.
“The success of this historic reform depends on the active participation of all stakeholders and every Nigerian”, Magarya added.
He also called on stakeholders to continue working with the commission to ensure that all births and deaths were registered promptly.
He expressed the commission’s appreciation to state government, local government councils, development partners, technical partner, and healthcare institutions.
He also thanked traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, and the media in the state for their continued collaboration in advancing civil registration in the country.