President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the National Geospatial Data Repository Digital Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System, CRVS, to generate accurate and reliable demographic data in Nigeria.
He also inaugurated the National Coordination Committee for the CRVS, under the Chairman of National Population Commission, NPC, and stakeholders across all Federal Ministries Departments and Agencies, MDAs.
In his address at the event on Wednesday in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the President said that the CRVS would help improve service delivery, care and knowledge to Nigerians.
“It is my honor to be here to launch a digital Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (e-CRVS), a National Geospatial, Data Respiratory and the inauguration of the CRVS National Coordination Committee approved.
“This launch marks another great step in our efforts to generate accurate and reliable demographic data in Nigeria.
“We can debate why now? Why not before now?
“But let me commend the noble initiative of the National Population Commission (NPC).
“The CRVS system 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 a vital source of identity data across federal agencies such as NIMS-C, NIS, road safety, police, EFCC and other security outfits.”
He, therefore, appealed to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to support the initiative.
“Don’t say this is not my business; please cooperate.”
The President said that the system would improve the ability of the federal agencies to generate vital statistics on important population events and migration.
According to him, the CRVS will enable the government to design a well tailored, effective and efficient policy capable of meeting the needs of the Nigerian people.
“Let’s always thank God that this country has been blessed, and has been disaster free.
“Sometimes when you see disasters of even minor magnitude, involving the lives of our people, you cannot easily say these are how many people are involved.
“It is hoped that the current drive to reposition this vital registration system will provide the basis for 100 percent attainment of our 2030 SDG targets in respect of real time identity management and population data.
“For me, at this time, the Commission has made substantial progress in the quest to deliver the first digital population and housing census.
“It is my hope that the result of the census will provide the nation with much needed data for development, planning and the enthronement of good governance.”
He called on the NPC to deploy its cutting edge technology especially the geospatial data that had been collected, through the enumeration area, demarcation in implementing the CRVS.
He noted that the population remained the greatest asset of the nation in the development process.
According to him, collecting accurate and reliable information on the size, distribution, composition and characteristics of the population is an essential governance activity which is also consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The Commission will, therefore, be supported in the conduct of this next census.”
He thanked the private solution providers for the laudable project and assured them that the Federal Government would always extend a hand of partnership to all private investors willing to partner with the government at all levels.
“We are open for business and we are open for all possible partnerships in a way that will determine and redirect our development progress to upgrade the character of our country.
“The ‘VitalReg’, they call it, I know is very special and I know the Director-General in charge; I have worked with her before.
“The prosperity of our nation is assured if we can do a reliable and dependable exercise,” President Tinubu said.
In her goodwill message, UNICEF’s Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, commended Tinubu’s commitment to enhance civil registration data capturing, collation, processing, dissemination and access.
“UNICEF remains steadfast in its support of the Federal Government of Nigeria’s endeavour to build a sustainable civil registration and vital statistics system.
“We are committed to providing assistance to establish the necessary requirements for the successful compilation and processing of vital data,” Munduate said.
For his part, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, said Nigeria’s most important asset was its people, especially its children, present and generations yet unborn.
Earlier, the Chairman of NPC, Nasir Kwarra said the inauguration of CRVS emphasised the commitment of the current administration to strengthen civil registration, data capturing, processing and timely access to vital statistics.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the United Nations Legal Identity Agenda and resolutions of the African Ministers Conference held in Addis Ababa.
Mr Kwarra said that the conference advocated for a technological shift in data generation.
