The Senate on Monday called for the adoption of an electronic and integrated civil registration system to strengthen national planning and governance.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at a public hearing, Victor
Umeh, senator representing Anambra central and chairman of the senate committee
on National Identity Card and national population, said the global shift
towards digital and integrated civil registration systems has made it necessary
for Nigeria to follow suit.
The hearing focused on a bill seeking to repeal the Births,
Deaths, etc. (Compulsory Registration) Act, Cap B9, LFN 2004, and enact the
Compulsory Civil Registration Act, 2025.
“If Nigeria must compete globally and plan effectively, we
must transition from paper-based and inconsistent records to a fully electronic
and integrated platform,” he said.
The lawmaker, who sponsored the bill, said the reform is
critical to ensuring accurate recording of every birth and death in the
country.
Umeh described civil registration as the foundation for
credible population data, effective national planning and transparent
governance.
He said the public hearing was organised to gather expert
opinions, sectoral perspectives and stakeholder recommendations to shape a law
that reflects global best practices.
Umeh added that Nigeria had operated for decades under an
outdated civil registration framework that could not meet modern development
needs.
“We have relied on estimated projections and fragmented
identity systems, which challenge the accuracy of planning across education,
health and national security,” he said.
The senator said the bill seeks to guarantee the
registration of every birth and death regardless of location, socio-economic
status, gender or faith.
He added that the proposed law would enable real-time
digital registration nationwide, including rural communities, through mobile
and electronic platforms.
Umeh said the bill would also strengthen the national
identity architecture through synergy among the National Identity Management
Commission (NIMC), National Population Commission (NPC), Nigeria Immigration
Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and health institutions.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio described accurate and
comprehensive civil registration as “the very DNA of our sovereign state”.
Akpabio, represented by Onyekachi Nwebonyi, deputy chief
whip of the senate, said vital registration empowers the government to plan
effectively and allocate resources efficiently.
He assured that the national assembly remained committed to
promoting data-driven governance and national security through supportive
legislation.
“A seamless, efficient and reliable system of registering
births, deaths, marriages and divorces is a non-negotiable prerequisite for a
credible national identity card system, which is pivotal to our collective
security,” the senate president said.
Aminu Yusuf, chairman of the NPC, said the proposed
amendments could not have come at a better time.
Represented by Clifford Zirra, federal commissioner for
Adamawa state, Yusuf said the commission is working to mainstream technology
and develop interoperable digital platforms.
He said the NPC had collaborated with private consultants
with support from UNICEF throughout the review process.
Yusuf commended the senate committee and stakeholders and
called for holistic amendments to existing population and registration laws to
eliminate duplication and enhance implementation.
Daniel Okoh, president of the Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN), applauded the senate for taking what he described as a bold step
to repeal the 2004 Act.
Okoh urged the committee to amend section nine of the bill
by replacing “religious minister” with “clergy”.
“Anybody can claim to be a religious minister; we need
clarity on who qualifies as clergy, including pastors, priests and imams,” the
CAN president said.
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