NPC to digitalise issuance of birth, death certificates in Lagos

The National Population Commission on Thursday said its operations in Lagos would be digitalised from 2020 to check the activities of touts.
Its Director in Lagos State, Murphy Adigun, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
According to him: “It is our way of taking the bull by the horn in solving the issue of touting in our state offices.”
Adigun explained that processing the certificates digitally would help the commission to checkmate activities of the touts.
He said: “The commission has been battling with the touts who parade themselves as NPC officials and collecting money from unsuspecting members of the public to issue birth and death certificates.
“The local governments were issuing these certificates before NPC took over the responsibility and it has been difficult for the touts to leave the local government offices.
“Most times, it is the citizens that encourage them as they do not want to go through the processes and procedures.
“The touts are even bold to advertise what they are doing.”
Adigun said the touts believe that the certificates could not be issued free and capitalised on their belief to collect money from people.
The NPC Director said there had been instances when he directed people to the office where they would collect birth or death certificates, but surprisingly only to see the same people asking another person.
“That is how they fall into the hands of these touts. Many of the tout are mobile and you see them everywhere loitering around,” he said.
Adigun said the issue of touting was a challenge that had been given NPC a bad image.