The National Population Commission (NPC) says targeted birth registration efforts have reached more than 14.5 million children across Nigeria.
The commission stated this in a joint statement with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The statement was issued on Monday in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day.
The theme for the 2026 Africa CRVS Day is “New CRVS Decade (2026-2036): Consolidating the Gains of the Africa Programme on Accelerated Improvement of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (APAI-CRVS) and Securing the Future of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics in Africa through Integration, Decentralisation and Digitalisation.”
The organisations said the effort forms part of Nigeria’s drive to ensure that every child is registered at birth and recognised before the law.
According to the statement, the targeted registration efforts have reached children in rural, hard-to-reach and humanitarian settings, with services increasingly linked to health facilities and community outreach initiatives.
The organisations noted that states including Bayelsa, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba, Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara are strengthening linkages between health facilities and community registration services.
“This is bringing services closer to families and helping ensure more children are registered closer to the point of birth,” the statement said.
NPC Chairman Dr Aminu Yusuf said the commission’s priority is to ensure that every child is counted, protected and recognised before the law.
“Every registered birth strengthens the foundation for child protection and national development.
“Our priority is to ensure that every child, regardless of where they are born, is counted, protected and recognised before the law.”
The organisations said birth registration provides a child’s first legal recognition by the state and lays the foundation for access to healthcare, education and social protection.
They added that registration generates vital demographic data required for effective planning, service delivery and national development.
The statement said Nigeria is strengthening its CRVS system through collaboration among the NPC, NIMC, ALGON, development partners and communities.
It added that digitalisation and stronger integration between civil registration and identity management systems are improving the efficiency, accessibility and reliability of registration services.
NIMC Director-General Mrs Abisoye Coker-Odusote said integrated digital identity systems would provide a seamless pathway from birth through adulthood.
“Integrated digital identity systems create a seamless pathway for individuals from birth through adulthood, while improving access to services and strengthening governance,” she said.
The organisations said local governments remain critical to expanding registration services and creating awareness at the community level.
ALGON National President Mr Bello Lawal said decentralisation is essential to reaching children in underserved communities.
“Decentralisation is essential to ensuring that children in remote and underserved communities are not left behind and bringing services closer to families increases access and encourages timely registration.”
The Chairman of the House Committee on NPC, Hon. Okunjimi Odimayo, stressed the importance of sustained political commitment to strengthening CRVS systems.
“Strong civil registration and vital statistics systems support better planning, more effective service delivery and improved development outcomes for all Nigerians,” Odimayo said.
The statement, however, noted that significant challenges remain across Africa, with current estimates indicating that only about half of children under five in sub-Saharan Africa are registered at birth.
It said the region accounts for the largest share of unregistered children globally, underscoring the need for continued investment in CRVS systems.
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria Wafaa Abdelatef described birth registration as essential to protecting children’s rights and ensuring that no child remains invisible.
“Birth registration is far more than a certificate. It is a gateway to protection, services and opportunity,” Abdelatef said.
She said UNICEF would continue working with the Federal Government and other partners to strengthen integrated, decentralised and digitalised registration systems that ensure every child is counted, protected and able to access their rights.
