40% births, deaths in Nigeria unregistered – NPC

The National Population Commission says about 40 percent of births and deaths recorded in Nigeria are not registered.

Its newly appointed Executive Chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra, disclosed this during the handing over ceremony from the former Acting Executive Chairman, Eyitayo Oyetunji, in Abuja.

• Malnutrition responsible for 53 percent of Nigeria’s infant mortality – Emir of Kano
• Expert tasks Nigeria on implications of funding gap for family planning

Kwarra said the rate of vital registrations, which generate data on births and deaths in the country, was slightly above 60 percent.

He said his priority would be the digitalisation of the processes of vital registrations and population census.

He said overtime, the commission suffered redundancy due to insufficient funding despite its huge mandate of data generation.

He, however, added that there has been positive changes in the past one and a half years.

In his remarks, Oyetunji said the commission was ready to conduct the census whenever the Federal Government approved the exercise.

Dr Oyetunji said the enumeration area demarcation of the 260 local governments have been completed in readiness for the census.