To Correctly Track Births, Deaths, Divorces, Others, Tinubu Launches e-CRVS, Geospatial Data Repository In Abuja

In a bid to equip Nigeria with accurate population data essential for formulating tailored policies and programmes of government, President Bola Tinubu has unveiled the Digital Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (eCRVS) and the National Geospatial Data Repository at the State House in Abuja.

The CRVS will offer a comprehensive platform for recording and managing vital events such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces for the purpose of maintaining accurate and reliable demographic data in the country.

The CRVS data could also include causes of death. The Geospatial Data Repository on the other hand could be used to provide geographically-linked health and demographic data.

Such data can help Nigeria plan and address specific needs of the country’s growing population.

According to the World Health Organisation, many countries do not have adequate systems in place despite the well-documented benefits of CRVS.

WHO says “A well-functioning Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System, better known as CRVS, uses inputs into and exits from a population register to provide governments with critical information on their population by age, sex and location, on which to develop policies and plan services. Good public health decision-making requires timely, reliable and actionable data on births and deaths, including cause of death, collected through these systems.”

Speaking at the launch of the CRVS and Geospatial Data Repository, President Tinubu emphasized the importance of accurate population data in addressing the nation’s challenges and achieving its developmental goals.

According to the President, Nigeria’s population remains its greatest asset in its quest to become one of the largest economies in the world.

Tinubu is optimistic that the CRVS “will help to improve service delivery to all Nigerians and shall ultimately become a vital source of identity data across federal agencies such as NIMC, NIS, Road Safety, INEC, Police, EFCC and other security outfits.

“The system will also improve the ability of our federal agencies to generate vital statistics on important population events and migration, further enabling the government to design well-tailored, effective and efficient policies that are capable of meeting the specific needs of the Nigerian people.

“It is my hope that the current drive to re-position this vital registration system will provide the basis for the 100% attainment of our Year 2030 SDG targets in respect of real-time identity management and population data.

“Our population remains the greatest asset of the nation in the development process. Collecting accurate and reliable information on the size, distribution, composition, and characteristics of the population is an essential governance activity that is also consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration. The Commission will therefore be supported in the conduct of the next census,” Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s senior media adviser, quoted him as saying.

To oversee the implementation and success of the systems, President Tinubu inaugurated the National Coordination Committee of CRVS chaired by the National Population Commission and comprising stakeholders from relevant federal ministries and agencies.