By Naomi Sharang
The Senate on Monday pushed for electronic and integrated civil records to boost national planning.
Chairman, Senate Committee on National Identity Card and National Population, Sen. Victor Umeh, made the push at a public hearing organised by the committee in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the hearing was on “A Bill for an Act to Repeal the Births, Deaths, etc (Compulsory Registration) Act Cap. B9 LFN 2004 and to Enact the Compulsory Civil Registration 2025 to Provide for Electronic Civil Registration System; and for Other Related Matters, 2025 (SB. 913).
In his address, Umeh, who is the sponsor of the bill, said that the world had moved towards digital and international civil registration systems, urging Nigeria to tow the same path.
“If Nigeria must compete globally and plan effectively, we must transition from paper-based, inconsistent records to a fully electronic and integrated platform,” he said.
The lawmaker said that the reform was critical to ensuring that every birth and every death in Nigeria were accurately recorded.
“It is the foundation for credible population data, effective national planning and transparent governance,” he stated.
The senator explained that the public hearing was designed to collect expert opinions, sectorial perspectives and stakeholders’ recommendations to help finalise a law that would reflect global best practices.
Umeh further said that Nigeria had operated for decades under an outdated civil registration framework that could not support modern development needs.
“We have relied on estimated projections and fragmented identity systems, challenging the accuracy of planning across education, health and national security,” the lawmaker said.
According to him, the bill seeks to guarantee that every birth and death was recorded, regardless of location, socio-economic status, gender or faith.
“It will enable real time, digital registration across the country, including rural communities through mobile and electronic means.
“It will also strengthen the national identity architecture through synergy with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Population Commission (NPC), Immigration, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and health institutions,” he added.
In his opening remarks, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said that
accurate and comprehensive vital registration was the Nigeria’s DNA as a sovereign state.
“It is the tool that empowers the government to plan for the future, allocate resources effectively from schools and hospitals to infrastructure, and most importantly, provide a definite legal identity for every citizen,” he said.
Akpabio, represented by
Deputy Chief Whip, Sen. Peter Nwebonyi, said that the National Assembly was fully committed to providing a legislative environment that would promote data-driven governance and national security.
“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, ” he said.
In his submission, the Chairman, National Population Commission (NPC), Aminu Yusuf, said that the proposed amendments could not have come at a better time than now.
Yusuf said that the commission seeks to mainstream technology and digital services in the provision of other services, provide interoperable digital platforms that enable collaborations with sister and government agencies and partners.
This, he said, was to breach the gaps observed in the implementation of the legislations in the last three decades.
“The commission is glad to have been working with private consultants with the support of UNICEF through all the processes of reviewing the bill up to this current stage of the hearing.
“We commend the committee and all stakeholders for this great task and strongly recommend the holistic amendment to both the National Population Act and the birth, death and compulsory registration.
“This approach will eliminate duplication, ensure clarity and facilitate effective implementation of the mandate of the commission,” Yusuf, who was represented by the Federal Commissioner representing Adamawa, Clifford Zirra, said.
NAN reports that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) also supported the bill.
The President of CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh expressed happiness that the National Assembly was looking into the document to repeal the 2004 Act and reenact the new bill.
Okoh applauded the bold step taken by the senate to repeal the act.
“This is because we are in a new generation that has to do with technology and we have to rectify issues on this basis,” he said.
The CAN president, however, appealed that Section 9 of the act which states ‘every religion minister…’ be made to read ‘every clergy’ because “it is a more distinct word for the religion.
“This is because anybody can say I’m a religious minister and we have to define who is a clergy person, which includes a pastor, a priest or an Imam”. (NAN)