The National Geospatial Data Repository, Digital CRVS System has been launched in Nigeria.
Declaring Open the CRVS System at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja, Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed the National Population Commission NPC, to deploy cutting-edge technology in the implementation of the Geo-spatial data repository system.
READ ALSO: UNICEF advocates improved financial resources for civil registration
The President said this will improve service delivery, care and knowledge to Nigerians and will also become the vital success of identity data across Federal government Agencies.
“This launch marks another great step in our effort to generate accurate and reliable demographic data in Nigeria, let me commend the noble initiatives of the national population census.
“The CRVSC is the basic building block of an identity ecosystem. It will help to improve service delivery, care and knowledge to Nigerians and shall ultimately become the vital success of identity data across Federal government agencies such as the NIMC NIS, FRSC, INEC Police, EFCC and other security outfit.
“It will improve the ability of federal government agencies to generate vital statistics on important population events and migration and it will further enable the government to design well-tailored effective and efficient policy capable of meeting the needs of Nigerians people.
“The current drive to reposition this vital registration system will provide 100 per cent attainment of our year 2030 SDG target in respect to real-time identity management and population data.” The President added
The Nigerian Leader added that the current drive to reposition Nigeria’s vital registration system will provide one hundred percent attainment of the nation’s year 2030 SDG target with respect to real-time identity management and population data.
“It is my hope that the result of the census will provide the nation with much-needed data for development planning and enthronement of good governance on National Population Commission to deploy the cutting edge technology in the geo spatial data that has been collected through the Enumeration Area Demarcation in implementing the eCRVS”
The President also inaugurated the National Coordinating Committee of the CRVS under the Chairmanship of the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Kwarra.
The committee the President said comprises stakeholders across relevant Ministries Development and agencies.
He ordered the affected MDAs to give full support in the delivery of accurate data and functional eCRVS adding that the task is not for the National Population Commission alone.
In his goodwill message at the event, Nigeria’s Minister of Health and the Coordinating Minister of Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate stated that the eCRVS system will help the nation better in tracking maternal mortality rate , under 5 mortality rate and under zero children wellbeing of Nigeria.
Prof. Pate added that the eCRVS complements the administrative records that the Nigerian government holds as major sources of population data which provides the basis for effective planning of program interventions and harnessing demographic potentials that the nation has.
“When we hear of maternal mortality rate under 5 mortality rate or Zero those children and the health of our people in terms of statistics, they are statistics we should care about and use to plan but behind those numbers are real people who suffer.
“This system we are putting in place will help us track that but beyond that at the Fed Min if health has committed to make maternal death in particular reported.
“The 80,000 women who die from maternal crisis should not be forgotten and this system will help make that more visible as part of our efforts to improve as we move forward.”
Speaking on the significance of eCVRS system, the Chairman, National Population Commission, Nasir Isa Kwarra, said the aim of the high-level event is to emphasize the commitment of the current government and leadership to strengthen civil registration data capturing, collation, processing, dissemination and timely access to vital statistics in the country.
“It is to accelerate the improved civil registration and vital statistics systems in Nigeria over a period of ten years, from 2023 to 2030 in a bid to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG):16.9.2 – legal identity for all, including birth registration.”
UNICEF Representative in Nigeria Ms. Cristian Munduate said digitizing civil registration in the country transcends technology adding that it is a pledge to future generations.
“This initiative aligns with the United Nations Legal Identity Agenda and the resolutions of the African Ministers’ Conference in Addis Ababa, advocating for a technological shift in data generation.”
The strategic partnership between PC and UNICEF, complemented by the Public-Private Partnership with Barnksforte Technologies Limited, is set to overhaul the registration of vital events, transitioning Nigeria from a paper-based system to an internationally aligned digital framework.
The newly established CRVS National Coordination Committee is tasked with steering the e-CRVS system, ensuring Nigeria’s capability to capture and leverage vital statistics.
Through this transformation, Nigeria is laying the groundwork for an effective civil registration system, essential for national planning, policymaking, and achieving the global ambition of legal identity for all.
