Africa CRVS Pulse

Schools can help identify and refer children aged 5-17 who missed registration at birth or in early childhood. Linking schools to registration services closes persistent gaps and protects access to education, social services and legal identity.

Births and deaths often occur in or come to the attention of the health system first. Clear notification and referral pathways between health and civil registration authorities reduce missed events and improve the quality of vital statistics.

Bringing registration closer to families

Burundi jointly marked Africa CRVS Day and the African Day of Decentralization and Local Development, linking legal identity with the broader goal of bringing public administration closer to citizens. In Bujumbura, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior called on local authorities, parents, the private sector and development partners to support the registration of every vital event.

The commemoration highlighted progress in connecting health facilities and civil registration. In the former province of Kirundo, placing civil registration officers in 25 health facilities increased birth registration within the legal period from 8% to 45%. Nationally, 84% of children under five were reported as registered, although fewer held a birth certificate.

Turning the commemoration into direct service delivery

Civil Registration Services organized Kenya’s national celebration at Ngong Stadium in Kajiado North Constituency. Government officials, registration personnel and local communities used the occasion to promote timely birth and death registration and to underline how legal identity enables access to public services and rights.

The event was preceded by mobile registration exercises in Ngong Township and Enchorr-Emuny, where residents received birth and death certificates. By combining public awareness with on-the-spot services, the commemoration demonstrated decentralization in practice and reduced the distance and administrative barriers faced by families.

Man mobilises around timely birth declaration

Côte d’Ivoire continued its national commemoration on 11 August in Man, where the National Office for Civil Registration and Identification (ONECI) convened public officials, practitioners and partners. The event focused on birth declaration and the consequences that non-registration can have for children’s access to education, health care and legal protection.

The celebration was connected to a wider modernization agenda. ONECI had recently launched a CRVS Technical Working Group to strengthen coordination among institutions and support implementation of the national strategy. The message from Man was that digital reform must be matched by accessible local services and sustained public awareness.

Local offices use practical outreach to sustain awareness

Mozambique’s National Directorate encouraged civil registration offices to mark the Day using locally available resources and existing community mechanisms. Offices promoted registration beyond their premises, reused communication materials from earlier campaigns and spoke through community radio about the value of registration and the rights it protects.

Photographs from the community of Navevene, in the municipal administrative post of Muanona in Nacala, show registration activities taking place close to residents. The approach kept attention on legal identity while demonstrating how local initiative can sustain outreach even when special event resources are limited.

National leaders renew attention to legal identity

Tanzania marked Africa CRVS Day through a national event that brought together government leadership, civil registration institutions and partners. The Minister responsible for constitutional and legal affairs used the occasion to speak about the importance of civil registration and the need to keep services responsive to citizens.

UNICEF’s country representative also addressed the commemoration, reinforcing the connection between birth registration, children’s rights and access to essential services. The event created a common platform for government and partners to renew public awareness and support for the priorities of the new CRVS Decade.

A national launch and a rights-based call for action

Cameroon launched the 2026 commemoration in Bangou under the chairmanship of the Minister of Decentralization and Local Development, with the Director-General of the National Civil Status Registration Office (BUNEC) participating. The event connected national leadership with local mobilization around legal identity.

The Cameroon Human Rights Commission highlighted special operations that processed 49,311 applications for free birth certificates through 544 mobile court sessions. It also called for stronger financing, wider digital coverage of the national register and interoperability among civil registration, health, justice and identification systems.

An open day places modernization at the centre

Comoros combined public awareness with institutional dialogue. An open day at the Central Prefecture allowed citizens to learn about civil registration services and procedures, followed by an official ceremony and exhibition at the People’s Palace in Moroni attended by national authorities and development partners.

The Minister of the Interior placed modernization and digitalization at the centre of the discussion. Authorities presented work under the Project to Support the Modernization of Civil Registration in Comoros, implemented with UNICEF technical support, and renewed the commitment to legal recognition for every citizen and reliable data for planning.

A multi-municipality campaign showcases reform

Guinea launched awareness activities on 7 August in Matam and continued the national campaign across several municipalities, culminating in a major gathering in Ratoma on 10 August. Local authorities, health representatives, judicial actors, community leaders and partners used the campaign to reinforce collective responsibility for registration.

The Government reaffirmed plans for a modern national civil register, a unique personal identification number and secure civil registration documents. Officials reported that birth-registration coverage had risen from 54% in 2022 to 72% in 2025, presenting local mobilization and digital transformation as mutually reinforcing parts of the reform agenda.

Traditional leadership supports systematic registration

Niger held its national ceremony before the Royal Palace of the Chief of Tahoua Canton under the patronage of the Ministry of the Interior and the regional Governor. Traditional leaders, local governments, UNICEF and community representatives joined testimonies and cultural activities under the national theme of systematic registration for successful digitalization.

Authorities reported that birth-registration coverage had increased from 60% in 2023 to 80% in 2026. They also indicated that 68% of municipalities had been computerized with UNICEF support, while committing to extend services to insufficiently covered areas and intensify community awareness.

Kaolack launches a new phase of digitalization

Senegal held its official ceremony in Kaolack with administrative, judicial and local authorities, civil registration personnel and civil society. The Director-General of the National Civil Registration Agency described civil registration as an instrument of sovereignty that allows the State to understand and serve its population.

The ceremony launched the fourth phase of the National Remediation Plan for the Civil Registration Management Software and activated the Sama État Civil platform. Officials reported software deployment in 74% of registration centres, online services in 189 municipalities and training for about 920 officers, while calling for stronger equipment, connectivity and financing.

NCRA connects digital progress with broad national partnership

The National Civil Registration Authority joined the continent in marking the ninth Africa CRVS Day, with Director-General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi describing civil registration as both a fundamental right and a development necessity. He emphasized that every birth must be registered, every death counted and every person recognized before the law.

The Authority presented a fully integrated electronic CRVS system, a Tier III primary data centre and a national biometric identity management system as foundations for continuous legal identity and secure public services.

Partners used the occasion to renew cooperation. The Electoral Commission linked civil registration data to an accurate voter register and committed to revising its memorandum of understanding with NCRA; UNICEF stressed timely birth registration; and market women highlighted mobile services that had brought registration directly into markets.

Looking to 2027-2036, NCRA committed to universal coverage, responsible digital transformation, stronger interoperability and protection of citizens’ data, while reminding stakeholders that civil registration is a shared national responsibility.

The health sector calls for sustained investment

Liberia’s Ministry of Health marked Africa CRVS Day through an official communication calling for greater investment in civil registration and vital statistics. The Ministry stressed that a functioning system must register births, deaths and other vital events accurately to protect rights and generate information for public-service management.

The health sector’s visible role underscored the importance of integration. Health facilities are often the first point of contact with newborn children and bereaved families; clear notification and referral arrangements can therefore improve timely registration while strengthening mortality, health and demographic statistics.

Partners accelerate legal identity for every child

Nigeria’s commemoration featured a joint commitment by the National Population Commission, National Identity Management Commission, Association of Local Governments of Nigeria and UNICEF. Their message placed every child’s right to registration at the centre and linked legal identity to education, health care, social protection and other essential services.

More than 14.5 million children were reported registered through the intensified campaign, while digital birth-registration services were available in over 6,000 of the country’s 8,809 wards. Integration with health facilities and community outreach is progressively moving services closer to families.

A resilient civil registration system for all

Mali held the official ceremony for the ninth Africa Civil Registration Day at the Sports Palace in Bamako under the leadership of the Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization. The national theme focused attention on service continuity and legal identity, including in areas where access to public administration remains difficult.

The Government announced continued modernization through progressive digitalization, workforce development, public awareness and improved access to birth certificates. The commemoration translated the continental priorities into a national call for a system that remains available, trusted and resilient in every community.

From progress to universal legal identity

Africa’s ambitions for prosperity, inclusion and resilience depend on every person being visible, recognised and counted from the beginning of life. Strong CRVS systems allow governments to plan, invest and deliver for their populations. The reflection acknowledged the work of governments, UNICEF country offices, UNECA, CIFF and the many partnerships moving this agenda forward.

Together, we can make ‘Everyone Visible in Africa’ a reality

Sheema SenGupta, UNICEF Director of Child Protection and Migration, emphasized that universal birth registration and legal identity are fundamental rights and gateways to protection, health care, education, social services and justice. She noted that more than 15 million children were registered with UNICEF support across Africa in 2026, while calling for stronger South-South cooperation, knowledge exchange, digital transformation and sustainable domestic financing.