How to Get Death Certificate in Nigeria (2024)

Aside having a birth certificate, do you know that death certificates are also issued in Nigeria? It is a document that displays the day one died officially, and it is issued by the National Population Commission (NPC). How to obtain a death certificate for a deceased person in Nigeria is what this article seeks to explain.

The reason documents are kept are for reference purposes. Death certificates, just like birth certificates are records showing that a citizen in Nigeria once existed but is no more. Referencing the date in which one died might be useful for court cases, historical causes and even for records. Death certificates contain data that is related to a deceased person. Death certificates in Nigeria are documents issued by the National Population Commission.

The National Population Commission is the federal body that is responsible for keeping a record of birth and death related statistics. They are also responsible for issuing death and birth certificates. It is important to note that every single death and birth in Nigeria is eligible for registration.

This helps the NPC (National Population Commission) keep an accurate statistical record that helps in demographics. It is a necessary process that allows the commission to always know the number of people in the country and the conditions of their birth and death.

In the course of this article, we would review “how to get a death certificate in Nigeria”.

COST OF DEATH CERTIFICATES IN NIGERIA

Death certificates that are issued by the NPC are valid forever. About the cost of getting a death certificate, some say it is free of charge, unless in certain conditions. The finance factor as regarding registering a death is dependent on the time frame wherewith the death was registered.

Also, death certificates that are issued by medical facilities come at a cost. Anyone under the age of 17 must pay ₦5,000, according to a front desk employee, in order to obtain a birth certificate. He stated that there is a cost of ₦10,000 for applicants over the age of 18, along with a copy of their declaration of age certificate and two passport photos.

REQUIREMENTS

The requirements to get a death certificate with ease has been simplified by the NPC. To be able to receive a death certificate, you have to provide the following information:

• An application for the death certificate
• Your name peradventure you are the person reporting the death (or the name of the death applicant)
• The name of the deceased individual
• Place of birth and birthday of the deceased individual
• Gender, age and marital status of the deceased individual at the moment of death
• The venue where the death occurred plus the time if possible
• If available the cause of death.
• Information on the wife/husband or children of the deceased person
• Documents that would be used to identify the person that reports the death.

HOW TO APPLY FOR DEATH CERTIFICATE IN NIGERIA

Death registration at the National Population Commission also has its processes. Registering a death is a conditional activity. Here are the process for the application of registering a death in Nigeria this 2024:

• The registration of the death has to be done by an NPC official. This has to be done on the location of the death.
• Any applicant who is making an application for a death certificate should have the proofs of death of the deceased person.
• You would have to be a blood relative as a death certificate applicant.
• The death has to be reported to the nearest office of the National Population Commission within 7 days after the death date
• Any death that is reported after 30 days of the death date incurs significant charges by the NPC
• In a situation where the death is reported after 12 months since the death date, the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Commission has to render a written and signed permission.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET DEATH CERTIFICATE IN NIGERIA?

The day after the death certificate is issued, it can be acquired. However, because a post mortem must be performed in cases of unexpected and unusual death, it may take a minimum of 7 to 14 days to acquire the death certificate. In Nigeria, the death certificate is issued and printed in English.

ADDITIONAL DEATH CERTIFICATE FACTS

Now that we are done with death certificate conditionals, let’s look at some additional facts.

To begin with, deaths that happened due to medical procedures should have the medical institution providing the death certificate.

As a plus, take note of the facts that death certificates cannot be issued on the following eventualities;

• When the person dies under circumstances that are labelled suspicious
• When the individual that died was a subject of a police investigation
• If the dead person had criminal record died when in government the body would never be given to the family. This implies that the death certificate will not be given out.

Well, as you can see in our guide, asides from some though conditionals and cumbersome information and documents to be provided, there is nothing that is to complicated. Getting a death certificate in Nigeria is not much of a big deal after all.