NPC REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHENING CRVS FOR INCLUSIVE GOVERNANCE

The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, has reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to enhancing Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) systems as a fundamental pillar for legal identity and inclusive governance.

Kwarra stated this at a press briefing held at the United Nations House in Abuja to commemorate the 2024 Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) Day.

In his remarks, Kwarra emphasized the significance of CRVS Day, which was established in 2018 following a recommendation by the Conference of African Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration.

He stated, “The day aims to raise public awareness about the critical need for timely registration of vital events, including births and deaths.”

Kwarra stressed that a robust CRVS system is essential for ensuring legal identity, protecting civil rights, and facilitating access to social services. This year’s celebration focuses on the theme, “Strengthening the Linkage of Civil Registration and Vital Statistics to Legal Identity Systems through Digitalization for Enhanced Inclusion.”

Kwarra noted that the theme aligns with Nigeria’s current efforts to leverage digital technology to improve the CRVS system.

Kwarra also highlighted the pivotal role of digitalization in enhancing data accuracy, security, and accessibility.

He, however, said that CRVS provides key data for planning, policy formulation, decision making and good governance.

The UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms Cristian Munduate, said that UNICEF is advocating the issuance of a unique number or National Identity Number (NIN) at birth to every child in Nigeria living in specific locations.

According to Munduate, such issuance should be for children in rural, urban, semi-rural, semi-urban, rural slums and hard-to-reach areas to secure their identity chain in the civil registration processes.

She said no fewer than “eight million babies are born in Nigeria every year and it is ideal for them to have access to birth registration.

“In every maternity of the country, whether first level or second level of health attention, all children should be registered without any excuse.

“So, the whole idea is to coordinate more with the health system and this is not just the government’s commitment.

“We have to see support from the states and support means not only saying yes, but translating it into concrete actions”.

She also said that by linking civil registration and vital statistics to legal identity systems, accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of records of vital events, such as births, deaths, and marriages would be ensured.

The Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Ms Bisoye Coker-Odusote, said that NIMC had been a veritable partner in the digitalisation of the identity sector in Nigeria.

She was represented by the Director of Information Technology, Mr Lanre Yusuf.

Coker-Odusote said that NIMC had, over time, changed the narrative in the civil registration process by enabling access to digital identity tokens and widening the scope of National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment through inclusivity.

“As of today, NIMC has issued more than 108 million unique NINs, out of which about 20 percent are children’s enrolment.

“The Commission is making concerted efforts to enroll all children below the age of 16 years in its drive towards inclusivity.

“NIMC plans to enrol all Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB) within the shortest time possible”, she said.

Coker-Odusote added that the Commission was also on the verge of inaugurating an improved General Multipurpose Card (GMPC) as part of its digital and inclusivity plans.

The card, she said, in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and AFRIGO, when inaugurated, would support the Federal Government’s social safety net programme and other government initiatives towards the citizens.

Meanwhile, Africa Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Day is an annual event celebrated every 10th August with this year’s event being the 7th edition.