The federal government is preparing for the official launch of the electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (e-CRVS).
This system is designed to capture, compile, process, disseminate, and provide swift access to essential statistics within the country.
The launch event is scheduled for November 8, 2023, at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, beginning at 10:00 am. This significant undertaking is a collaborative effort between the National Population Commission (NPC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and Barnksforte Technologies Limited.
In addition to introducing the e-CRVS, the event will encompass the launch of the National Geospatial Data Repository and the inauguration of the National Coordination Committee on CRVS. Distinguished guest President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will preside as the chief launcher of this transformative initiative.
At a recent press briefing in Abuja, the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Isa Kwarra, highlighted the primary aim of this event. It serves as a testament to the commitment of the current government and its leadership to enhance the processes of data capture, aggregation, processing, dissemination, and the timely accessibility of vital statistics throughout the country.
This initiative is not only intended to expedite the improvement of civil registration and vital statistics systems in Nigeria but also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG): 16.9.2, which focuses on ensuring legal identity for all, including birth registration within the country.
Furthermore, Mr. Kwarra elaborated that during the Sixth Session of the Conference of African Ministers responsible for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) held in Addis Ababa from October 24 to 27, 2022, African Ministers adopted resolutions. These resolutions encouraged all African nations to automate their CRVS processes, implement the United Nations Legal Identity Agenda, and develop electronic, technology-driven systems to bolster data generation and civil statistics.
To comply with these resolutions and enhance the automation of CRVS processes in Nigeria, the National Population Commission, in collaboration with UNICEF, has prepared the e-CRVS Operational Readiness Assessment Report.
This report underlines the potential of digital technologies to bring transformative improvements to CRVS and to securely store data from various systems in a cost-effective manner. It outlines a comprehensive approach to digitizing CRVS, including the rollout of a decentralized digital birth registration system and areas that require strengthening for automation.
Moreover, the report has paved the way for a significant step taken by the Commission. This involves a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement with Barnksforte Technologies Limited, a reputable local ICT solution provider with a history of successful collaboration with government agencies. This PPP is designed to promote the Vital Reg System, a fully electronic system that digitizes various civil registrations, including birth, stillbirth, attestation, adoption, marriage, divorce, migration, and death records.
The system issues digital certificates for all these registrations, offers accessible verification to authorized organizations, and features a central management system (dashboard) for analyzing and presenting collated civil registrations as vital statistics, thereby facilitating informed decision-making.
