How To Obtain Birth Certificate in Nigeria: Procedures & Cost (2024)

Last updated on August 3rd, 2023 at 12:14 am

Every child, on birth is given a document stating his/her date of birth, location and details of parents. This is the birth certificate issued by the National Population Commission for every child when born in the hospital.

However, this document is not limited to children only, as teenage and adults who may have misplaced theirs or do not have any can also apply for an attested birth certificate or an original certificate of birth respectively for the reasons.

Are you in dire need of a birth certificate for yourself or your baby? We would aid you with first-hand info on how to get a birth certificate in Nigeria.  This document is issued to every person that is born in Nigeria. It carries information on the date you were born, country, place, state, name and also information about your parents. The body responsible for registering every newborn in the country is Nigerian Population Commission (NPC). Across all the 36 states of Nigeria, they have their registration centres littered across the country in case you want to get one.

The National Population Commission is the only official body that registers births and issue the certificate in Nigeria. All issues pertaining to births are done by this body and they can as well, allow for registering for someone who you’re close to. This may be your relative, nephew or nieces. In this type of scenario, you will need to present the needed documents to enable you carry out the process.

It should be taken to note that birth certificates are given between the age of 18 and below. This means that if you fall under the age of18, you will receive the certificate of birth upon request. But when older than 18, in most places, you will receive an “Age Declaration Affidavit”. The affidavit on it’s own used to be a sufficient document years ago. But now, it’s necessary to provide an attestation letter issued by the National Population Commission.

Nevertheless, this is dependent on your region and local government. Even as now, some local government issue birth certificates to people more than the age of 18 which they should have collected the attestation.

Cost of Obtaining Birth Certificate in Nigeria

The charges for the process of obtaining a Birth Certificate in Nigeria is around N2500.00 only. This includes service charge fees and the certificate fee.

Eligibility

The NPC Act states that all those that are eligible to apply for their birth certificate are those born after 1992.

However, The Act further provides that those born before the year 1992 will only be issued the Attestation Of Birth Certificate from the body. They chose to do so because its from 1992 that the population commission began official documentation of births in the country and they can’t issue a Birth Certificate to an individual born outside this boundary.

In terms of legal value and effect, the attestation of a birth certificate is the same as the birth certificate, so there should be no query about it as both serve the same purpose.

Procedures For Getting A Birth Certificate In Nigeria

The Nigeria Population Commission is mandated with the right to access, accept the application of a person requesting for the certificate, and hence delivers the birth certificate to the applier and dues examination is carried out by the documents presented.

The birth certificate is issued out in many places aside from the NPC office, they include: hospitals, local government headquarters and the branch offices of the National Population Commission. 

Here are the procedures to take in order to ensure a non delay process while applying for your birth certificate:

Step 1: Collect & Fill Data Form

You will have to fill and complete the data form for either attestation of the certificate of birth or birth certificate by taking a visit to any regional branch of the National Population Commission. This is applicable for those born from 1992 who wishes to have the birth certificate and also the attestation for those born before 1992.

Step 2: Present Valid Documents

After completing the application form, there are some documents to present with the application for your Birth Certificate. Which means the data form will be accompanied by the following documents:

• An affidavit sworn to at the High court of the state by the applicant.
• A copy of valid means of identification in the case of a proxy, either a national passport or national identity number.
• Passport photograph of the applicant, if in the case of proxy then passport photograph of the proxy

Step 3: Wait For Documents To Be Verified

The verification of the listed documents when submitted will be done by the National Population Commission after which the application will be processed.

Application by proxy, that’s if you wish for someone to do the process for you. A proxy form will be required from the person who is applying on behalf of the real applicant if it is to be processed for the person possessing the birth certificate.

Replacement of a Nigerian Birth Certificate

Like a popular adage which says that ‘Nobody is above mistakes’, no matter how you may care for your Birth Certificate like an egg, it is liable to be lost, misplaced or destroyed. A second opportunity is given as a replacement for the original Birth Certificate. This is only issued by the National Population Commission.

The certificate contains the holder’s personal information including date and state of birth, as well as their parent’s name. This is issued of people born before 1992, as a Birth Certificate cannot be issued for people born before the formation of the NPC. However, for those born outside 1992, an Attestation of Birth + Affidavit (2 complimentary documents) will be issued in place of your Birth Certificate.

How To Obtain A Declaration Of Age In Nigeria

The Age Declaration certificate which also substitute for the Birth Certificate if lost can be obtained by swearing to an affidavit in a Nigerian High Court. This is followed by stating the reasons and also with a relative which may be either your father, mother or close siblings. The sworn affidavits and declarations of age are done in a court of law and on oath. 

The sworn age declaration affidavits is made by applicants at the High court that has jurisdiction within the state where the attestation is being processed. When going for an age declaration in an high court, the following documents should be handy; a passport photograph, a photocopy of the birth certificate or any prove of birth. If there is no birth prove, then your mother or father will swear to an affidavit indicating the date you were born.

Cost

The cost of getting an Age declaration in Nigeria is N200.00, but added service charges for the processing of the document may result to N1000.00 in most courts.

Conclusively, birth registration is necessary for parents of children to enroll them on birth. This helps the government to have a documentation  of the child that will help to track and know the safety of the child.

Moreover, without the birth certificate, you won’t be allowed to do anything in the country, This are issues like schools registration, scholarships, application for work and other legal connotations. Also, not having this certificate means that you will only stay in the boundary of Nigeria as you can’t apply for a passport/visa to enable you migrate to another country.

Advantages of Owning a Birth Certificate

There are a lot of advantages to having a birth certificate in Nigeria. In fact, there are many job applications that would require your Nigerian birth certificate be provided. Let’s take a close look at some of the advantages of having this document.

• When you want to gain admission into a tertiary institution, you would be asked for your birth certificate.
• Whenever you want to vie for a top political post, as a background check, your birth certificate would be required.
• In fact, there are countless applications that require a birth certificate. The importance cannot be overemphasized.

Different Ways of Getting a Birth Certificate in Nigeria

Depending on the timing and place of birth, there are different ways to get a birth certificate in Nigeria. The method for a person born in a medical facility is different from the method of a person that was born outside one. Also if after some years or months of birth, you come looking for your certificate? Your procedure could be different from a person looking for a certificate after 60 days of birth.

Method 1: Getting birth certificate if child is born in a hospital

Here some various ways of getting a birth certificate in Nigeria. As stated earlier. How to get a cert differs from the place of birth. We are talking about been born in or outside a hospital.

1. After giving birth to your child in the hospital, the medical institution in question would issue a proof of birth.
2. This birth report would be taken to any nearby centre for the National Population Commission in Nigeria. It some cases, it can be taken to the local government headquarters.
3. Upon reaching the registration centre, you would have to issue a proof of birth given to you by the hospital or health centre.

A birth certificate is then issued for the child to the guardians or parents present. Kindly take note of the fact that the proof of birth has no validity after a certain time. Only the one given by the National Population Commission has immutable value.  Finally, the birth certificate is free of charge, as long as it was obtained within sixty days of Acquisition.

Method 2: How to get a birth certificate in Nigeria for a child born outside the hospital

In a situation, where a child is born in a church, at home or any place outside a medical facility, you have to follow these steps.

1. Go to the local government area where the person was born; locate a court, and get an affidavit. This would alternate as your proof of birth.
2. With the affidavit issued by the court, proceed to the national population commission. You would use this as the proof of birth at the local government headquarters.
3. An official birth certificate would now be issued, when you submit the affidavit at the office.

Method 3: How to get a birth certificate in Nigeria for a person under the age of 18

If you fall under the category of people that don t have a birth certificate issued at birth? Or in most cases, you cannot be found? Then this paragraph is for you. And not also missing out, individuals that have undergone a change of name on the past.

The National Population Commission gives out birth certificates to people under eighteen years of age. In any of these eventualities, you would be given a form to fill for your birth certificate.

Please take note that this form is not cost-free. In some circumstances, the money might be used to obtain an Age declaration affidavit from the court.  The Age declaration would then be submitted to the National population commission office where the certificate would be issued.

An attestation letter would be given to you if you are above the age of 18. The attestation letter is a written document that is given as a backup for the sworn statutory Age Declaration Affidavit. These are the very basic things you would need to get a birth certificate for yourself or your baby.

Birth certificate at birth is free. For an afterbirth scenario, you would have to pay a certain amount of money. I hope that this information is enough to shed a very bright light on how you can get your newborn baby a birth certificate.  You can also go to the help desk of any NPC office to ask questions.