In a move to reshape how Nigeria records the lives of its people, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, says the country must embrace digital identity as a way of life — not a luxury.
“Digital is a lifestyle now. Nobody wants to fill forms on paper or move from office to office,” Inuwa declared at a high-level meeting on civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) held in Abuja.
The meeting, which brought together major government agencies such as the National Population Commission (NPC), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), was centered on using technology to modernise how Nigeria records births, deaths, and other key life events.
Inuwa explained that registering people from birth and linking that data to budgeting and national planning is no longer something Nigeria can delay. According to him, the country’s development is being held back by fragmented data systems that don’t communicate with each other.
“Without harmonising our data, we cannot generate the insight we need for national development,” he said. He also made it clear that digital identity is not just a tech issue — it’s a governance issue. The lack of reliable, connected data affects how government plans, delivers services, and responds to the needs of citizens.
The NITDA boss gave strong assurances that his agency is ready to guide and support the full digitisation of Nigeria’s CRVS system.
“At NITDA, our job is to ensure the right digital standards and policies are in place,” he said. “We’ll support every agency involved in this process, making sure the systems we build are secure, seamless, and citizen-friendly.”
Inuwa added that the agency will serve as a digital backbone for CRVS reforms, helping to power a unified platform where all Nigerians — regardless of where they live — can access vital services linked to their identity.
This digital transformation effort, he said, fits perfectly with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on public service reforms, digital infrastructure, and data-driven decision-making.
Other speakers at the event also echoed Inuwa’s message. They stressed that civil registration — often seen as a dull, back-office task — is actually the foundation for building a modern country. From making school enrolment easier, to health planning, to emergency response — everything depends on accurate data.
The event, held at the Ladi Kwali Hall of the Abuja Continental Hotel, marked the inaugural meeting of the National Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Coordination Committee. It featured top government officials including Senator Victor Umeh, Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Identity & Population; Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission; Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, Statistician General of the Federation; Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, Director General of NIMC; and Engr. Bello Lawal, President of ALGON
