Senate Slams Faulty Population Data, Pushes Mandatory Digital Birth, Death Registration, says Nigeria can’t plan with estimates, blames poor data

By Iyojo Ameh

The Senate on Monday faulted Nigeria’s population data, accusing the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of consistently working with inaccurate figures due to weak and fragmented data capture systems.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Identity Card and National Population, Senator Victor Umeh, said the country could no longer rely on population estimates of about 250 million people, warning that poor civil registration has continued to undermine national planning and governance.

Umeh spoke in Abuja during a public hearing on a bill seeking to repeal the Births, Deaths, etc. (Compulsory Registration) Act, Cap. B9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and enact the Compulsory Civil Registration Act, 2025, which proposes a fully electronic civil registration system.

“Nigeria cannot continue to work with estimates. We need a proper census and accurate civil registration. Both births and deaths must be registered to enable effective national planning,” Umeh said.

He warned that failure to register births and deaths results in exclusion from government planning and interventions, stressing that future allocations to families would depend on national registers.

Umeh disclosed that poor death registration has allowed deceased persons to remain on government payrolls for years, distorting wage bills and social benefits.

“When somebody dies, a death certificate is required to calculate benefits and remove the person from salary registers. Because we are not doing this diligently, people who are dead still receive salaries in Nigeria,” he said.

He added that children who are not registered at birth are often excluded from early planning for education, healthcare, and social protection.

“When a child is registered, he or she is clothed with all the rights and privileges of a Nigerian citizen. When they are not registered, nobody even knows they are Nigerians,” he said.

In his address, Umeh described the bill as a critical national reform aimed at ending Nigeria’s dependence on fragmented identity systems and unreliable population projections.

According to him, the proposed law will: Guarantee registration of every birth and death; Establish an electronic civil registration and vital statistics system; Strengthen data synergy among NIMC, NPC, Immigration, FRSC, and health institutions; Improve accuracy in planning for education, health, security, elections, and resource allocation; Enhance national security through a verified demographic database; and Protect children’s rights through proper documentation.

He stressed that the world had moved towards digital civil registration systems, urging Nigeria to align with global best practices.

In a speech delivered on his behalf by Senator Onyekachi Nwabonyi, the Senate President said accurate registration of births and deaths formed “the DNA of a sovereign nation.”

He said the proposed law would enable government to plan effectively for present and future needs, allocate resources efficiently, and provide a legal identity for every Nigerian child.

“The work we are doing today is not merely bureaucratic. It is central to our national duty and future development,” the Senate President said.

He urged lawmakers and stakeholders to approach deliberations with expertise and candour before formally declaring the public hearing open.