Nigeria has fully transitioned its civil registration system to a digital platform with the rollout of VitalReg as the country’s only official platform for Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS), marking a significant shift from the previous paper-based process.
The National Population Commission (NPC) began implementing the new system on July 1, 2026, enabling Nigerians to complete birth and death registration and related civil documentation online. The initiative is expected to improve access to essential identity records, shorten processing times and simplify certificate management across the country.
The platform offers a range of services, including birth registration for children aged between zero and 17 years, birth attestation for adults without existing birth certificates, foreign birth notification, death registration, certificate correction, reprinting, reissuance and verification. Health facilities can also enrol on the platform to support digital registration processes, Brandspur Brand News reports.
According to the commission, the digital transition allows citizens to apply for registration services remotely at any time while reducing the need for repeated visits to registration centres. The system also introduces secure digital certificates that can be verified electronically and reprinted when required, while making corrections to existing records more efficient.
The move addresses longstanding gaps in Nigeria’s civil registration system. Millions of births occur across the country annually, yet a significant proportion remain undocumented. Death registration has also remained low, limiting the availability of accurate demographic data and creating challenges for national planning and service delivery.
Civil registration documents are widely required for access to education, healthcare, passport applications, inheritance processes and other government services. Authorities believe expanding digital access will encourage more Nigerians to register vital life events while improving the reliability of national population records.
The NPC said Nigerians can access the VitalReg self-service portal to complete eligible registration processes online. Those who require assistance can also visit any National Population Commission registration centre nationwide, where officials will provide support with the new digital platform.
The nationwide deployment of VitalReg forms part of broader efforts to modernise public administration through digital technology, strengthen identity management systems and improve the delivery of government services using accurate and up-to-date civil registration data.
