Nigeria has to register deaths in order to plan properly

The National Population Commission, NPC, said in Kaduna on Tuesday that non registration of deaths by Nigerians is a huge challenge to proper planning in the country.

The NPC Director in Kaduna State, Ibrahim Riruwai, said the response of Nigerians to death registration is very poor.

He noted that such attitude is inimical to proper planning and implementation of government programmes.

Mr. Riruwai said without detailed records of deaths, government would continue to plan based on assumptions. He said proper deaths records will assist the government to easily determine deaths prevalence in a particular area, its causes and solutions.

“There has not been accurate data on the deaths in the country and this causes difficulties for swift intervention, should an epidemic occur.

“The registration helps families of deceased civil servants, for instance, to claim their entitlements from the employers.

“Some issues such as pension and gratuity as well as the execution of (the) will of a dead person require death certificates before claims can be released.”

The director, therefore, urged Nigerians to imbibe the habit of registering the death of members of their families with the commission, in view of its importance to national development.

Mr. Riruwai said the NPC is articulating a strategy to effectively sensitise the general public on the need to register birth and death at all times.