Revamping the civil registration and vital statistics system in Nigeria

Joshua O. Akinyemi, University of Ibadan
Ayo S. Adebowale, University of Ibadan

Civil registration and vital statistics systems are the cornerstone of a health information system. They are very important for guiding public health policy and planning. Also, they help health professionals look beyond isolated events and elucidate the dynamics, interconnections and deeper patterns in population health. In this paper, an attempt is made to review the system in Nigeria and suggest possible steps that could help to improve its performance. Suggested steps include stronger collaboration among relevant government agencies, involvement of traditional and religious institutions, expansion of registration centres, training and re-training of personnel, proper community engagement, active feedback mechanism and periodic review and assessment. Adaption of some of these and other known measures to local realities is also advocated. The task of revamping the civil registration and vital statistics system in Nigeria is the responsibility of all stakeholders and requires a strong political will from all tiers of government.