(Protocol)

I am pleased to welcome you all to the press briefing on the commemoration of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day, celebrated on the 10th of August every year since 2018. You will recall that this celebration is pursuant to the recommendation of Conference of Africa Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration held in Nouakchott, Mauritania in 2017 and endorsed by the Executive Council of the African Union the following year. The purpose of the celebration is to increase public awareness on the importance of timely registration of vital events, particularly births and deaths, through well-functioning civil registration and vital systems.

The CRVS Day celebration provides us an opportunity for a reflection on the legal identity from birth to death of all persons and the realization of key human and civil rights, including the right to participate in society and economy and the right to access social services. These can only be attainable when the rights and civil liberties are founded and strengthened by an efficient and effective civil registration and vital statistics systems that are inclusive, permanent, continuous, compulsory and confidential in nature.

This year’s celebration is under the theme: “Strengthening the linkage of civil registration and vital statistics to legal identity systems through digitalization for enhanced inclusion,” The theme which speaks to the imperative of a strong institutional and effective leadership and strategies to strengthen and transform the civil registration and vital statistics system for seamless linkage with legal identity structure aligns with the tenets and priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It will also engender the realization of the President’s goals of enthronement of a robust National Consumer Credit and Nigeria Education Loan Schemes.

Today's event marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to ensure that every Nigerian is counted, recognized, and included in our national framework. This year’s celebration is aimed at demonstrating the essential role civil registration and vital statistics system plays in facilitating the recognition of the legal identity for all persons as well as providing key data for planning, policy formulation, decision making and good governance. In doing so conscious effort should be made to ensure that the Civil Registration and Vital Registration System enjoys a broad-based support that leverages the development in information technology, inter-operable and easily accessible to the generality of the people.

It is imperative to emphasize the role of civil registration and vital statistics system as the bedrock of an effective and efficient government system. They are the primary sources of data on births, deaths, marriages, and other vital events, which are crucial for planning, governance, and the protection of rights. Yet, for too long, these systems have remained underdeveloped, often inaccessible to those in rural or marginalized communities, and plagued by inefficiencies that hinder their full potential.

The National Population Commission, as the custodian of these vital records, bears the responsibility of transforming our CRVS systems into models of accuracy, accessibility, and inclusiveness. It is our mandate to ensure that every birth, every death, and every significant life event is recorded accurately and promptly, forming the foundation upon which legal identity is established.

This brings us to the heart of today’s discussion — the digitalization of our CRVS systems. In a rapidly evolving world, where technology drives progress and innovation, it is imperative that we harness the power of digital tools to modernize our civil registration processes. Digitalization is not just a trend; it is a necessity. It offers us the unprecedented opportunity to create a robust, interoperable system that links civil registration with legal identity and vital statistics, ensuring that no one is left behind.

The importance of linking civil registration and legal identity systems cannot be overstated. Legal identity, which begins with the registration of birth, is a fundamental human right. It is the gateway to accessing essential services such as education, healthcare, social protection, and economic opportunities. Without a legal identity, individuals are rendered invisible, unable to fully participate in the social, economic, and political life of their country. This is particularly true for the most vulnerable populations — the poor, the rural dwellers, women, and children — who often face the greatest barriers to registration.

At this juncture, I wish to highlight the significance of this year’s theme and its implications:

i. Digital Civil Registration: A Cornerstone for Inclusion

Through digitalization, we can break down these barriers. We can create a seamless, efficient system that not only registers vital events but also integrates them into a comprehensive legal identity framework. This will enable us to track and manage vital statistics more effectively, ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of their location or socio-economic status, has a recognized identity and access to the rights and services they deserve.

Moreover, digitalization enhances data accuracy and security, reducing the risk of errors and fraud. It allows for real-time data collection and analysis, providing us with the timely, reliable information needed to make informed decisions and policies. By leveraging digital technologies, we can also improve accessibility, allowing individuals to register life events remotely, thus reaching those in the most remote and underserved areas.

ii. Protection of rights:

Legal identity is a fundamental human right and is crucial to gain access to other rights and services. Linking civil registration and vital statistics and legal identity systems ensures that individuals have official recognition and documentation of their identities, which will enable them to exercise their rights, gain access to social services, participate in economic activities and assert legal claims.

iii. Reduced fraud and impersonation:

Integrated systems that have strong verification mechanisms help to reduce identity fraud, impersonation and other forms of identity-related crime. By linking civil registration and vital statistics data with legal identity records, authorities can authenticate identities more effectively, thereby safeguarding against fraudulent activity in financial transactions, public services and voting processes, among other areas.

iv. Cross Border Recognition and Ubiquitous Legal Identity:

The linkage of civil registration and vital statistics to legal identity systems facilitates cross-border recognition and documentation of identity. This is particularly beneficial for migrants, refugees and individuals moving between countries, as it enables them to gain access to services, establish legal status and participate more fully in their host societies.The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 16.9 calls for universal legal identity for all by 2030. Our commitment to complete birth registration aligns perfectly with this goal. Every child registered at birth contributes to a more just and equitable society. It is a step toward leaving no one behind. Linked systems provide valuable data for evidence-based policymaking, development planning and tracking progress towards national and international development goals. Governments, development partners and researchers can use linked data to analyze trends, identify disparities and target interventions more effectively, which will lead to more sustainable development outcomes.

To this end, the Commission wishes to call on all our development partners, particularly UNICEF and the World Bank, not to relent in their collaborative effort with the Commission in the provision of technical and material support towards achieving the desired goal in civil registration and vital statistics system in Nigeria. We thank the health and education sectors in the country whose personnel and facilities have been placed at our disposal in this national task to ensure that every child born in the country is registered and given a legal identity.

We cannot fail to mention the invaluable role the Local Government Councils, State Governments and community leaders are playing in complementing our sensitization efforts as well as provision of accommodation and infrastructure for our registrars. We also appreciate the increasing collaboration with sister data-gathering and data-utilization agencies such as Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and all her Agencies, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), etc to achieve convergence in our data and identity management efforts.

We cannot complete our acknowledgement without the mention of our reputable partner, an indigenous innovative ICT solution provider Barnksforte Technology Limited (BTL) for the provision of a digital platform for the e-CRVS that was personally launched by Mr. President.

We also acknowledge the support of British High Commission for the donation Laptop Computers, Printers and Scanners for use in some the States of the Federation.

As we celebrate this year’s CRVS day, it needs to be restated that vital registration is not only important to the individual to achieve a full legal status, it is, equally significantly, a veritable source of statistical data for effective planning for sustainable national development.

I thank you for your kind attention. Happy Celebrations!

Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, fnsa

Chairman