Tinubu: Accurate Population Data Crucial for Innovative, Effective Governance

•Launches digital population database 

•Inaugurates system coordinating committee

Deji Elumoye in Abuja
 

President Bola Tinubu has declared that accurate information on the size, characteristics, and distribution of the nation’s population is imperative both for planning and for the effective delivery of public services to Nigerians.

Speaking, Wednesday, at the launch of the Digital Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System, and the National Geospatial Data Repository at the State House, Abuja, President Tinubu said Nigeria’s population remains the greatest asset the nation wields in the broader mission to become one of the largest economies in the world.

He said the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system is the basic building block of an identity ecosystem.

According to him, “It 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.”

Commending the National Population Commission (NPC) for the initiative, President Tinubu asked the commission to deploy its cutting edge technology, especially the geo-spatial data that has been collected through the Enumeration Area Demarcation in implementing the eCRVS.

His words: “Coming at a time when the Commission has made substantial progress in its 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.

“It is, therefore, my great pleasure to launch the VITAL REG system and the National Geo-Spatial Data Repository to the greater glory of God, our unity, and the collective prosperity of our great country.

“I am also pleased to inaugurate the National Coordination Committee of CRVS under the Chairmanship of the National Population Commission, which is composed of stakeholders across relevant federal ministries and agencies.”

President Tinubu further implored members of the Committee to demonstrate maximum commitment and hard work in ensuring a huge success of the new electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (eCRVS) system for the progress, peace and development of the country.

Earlier in his goodwill message, the Minister of Health and 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.

He 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.

According to him: “When we hear of maternal mortality rate under-5 mortality rate or Zero-dose 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, the Federal Ministry of Health has committed to making 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.”

Also speaking, Chairman of National Population Commission, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, expressed his enthusiasm, saying “the aim of this 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 (SD): 16.9.2 – legal identity for all, including birth registration.”

On her part, UNICEF’s Country Representative, Cristian Munduate, lauded Nigeria’s launch of the system, and the inauguration of the National CRVS Coordination.

Commending the effort, Munduate said the gesture is a beacon of hope for the sustainable development and rights-based future of Nigeria, adding that “it is an affirmation of dignity and rights for every citizen, providing the foundation upon which societies can flourish.

“As we set forth on this ambitious journey to revolutionalise the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system over the next seven years, we are cognizant of the profound impact this will have on achieving sustainable development goal 16.9.2 – a legal identity for all, including birth registration”, she said.