Nigerians living outside the country can now begin the registration of births and deaths online through a secure digital platform introduced by the National Population Commission.
NPC Federal Commissioner representing Edo State, Dr Tony Aiyejina, announced the development during a news conference held on Friday in Benin City.
Aiyejina said the self-service platform would allow Nigerians to initiate vital-event registration from any part of the world without relying entirely on the previous paper-based procedure.
According to him, the digital civil registration system became operational across Nigeria on July 1, 2026.
The new platform replaces the manual process used by the commission since 1988 and is expected to make birth and death registration faster, safer and more dependable.
Aiyejina said the transition reflected the need for the commission’s services to keep pace with technological developments and the changing needs of Nigerians.
He explained that records previously captured on paper would be transferred to the digital system to preserve existing civil registration information.
The platform is also expected to reduce processing delays and human errors while addressing duplicate entries and fraudulent registrations.
Aiyejina added that digitalisation would make it easier for citizens and authorised institutions to retrieve birth and death records when needed.
He stressed that reliable civil registration data was essential for effective government planning and public policy development.
Accurate information on births and deaths, he said, supports decision-making in healthcare, education, housing, employment and social welfare.
The NPC commissioner encouraged parents and healthcare workers to ensure that births and deaths were recorded promptly.
He also called for cooperation from traditional rulers, religious bodies and other community stakeholders to improve participation in the registration programme.
NPC Edo State Director, Mrs Agnes Ibadin, said digital birth registration had already commenced at healthcare facilities across the state.
According to Ibadin, registration officials are working with health workers to record births at hospitals and health centres.
She said NPC personnel also visit health facilities to register children brought by their parents for immunisation.
The commission’s existing partnership with healthcare providers would help extend registration services to surrounding communities, she added.
Under the arrangement, health centres will serve as accessible registration points, particularly for residents of remote areas.
Ibadin said this would reduce the need for parents to travel long distances with their children solely to complete birth registration.
She described the initiative as part of the commission’s effort to broaden access to civil registration and prevent rural communities from being excluded.
A practical demonstration of the new digital birth and death registration process was conducted during the event.
