NPC, UNFPA CONVENE NORTH-CENTRAL ZONAL CONSULTATIVE MEETING ON HARMONIZED MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE REGISTRATION PROTOCOL* 

*NPC, UNFPA CONVENE NORTH-CENTRAL ZONAL CONSULTATIVE MEETING ON HARMONIZED MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE REGISTRATION PROTOCOL*

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

The National Population Commission (NPC), in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), today, 29 September 2026, convened the North-Central Zonal Stakeholders Consultative Meeting on the Development of a Harmonized Protocol for Marriage and Divorce Registration in Nigeria, held at Chelsea Hotel, Abuja.

The 2-day consultative meeting forms part of a broader national effort to standardize the registration of marriages and divorces across the country, a process critical to accurate demographic data, legal identity protection, and the safeguarding of the rights of women, children, and families.

The meeting was designed to achieve four key outcomes: Deepen understanding of existing marriage and divorce registration practices among key state-level stakeholders, including Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), faith-based institutions, civil society organisations, and the private sector; Conduct a rapid situational assessment of current laws, policies, and practices governing marriage and divorce registration across various institutions, with a view to identifying prospects, challenges, and lessons learned; Develop a draft harmonized roadmap protocol for marriage and divorce registration applicable nationwide; and Secure buy-in and ownership of the harmonized protocol among stakeholders to ensure effective implementation at all levels of governance, including communities.

The meeting drew participation from a broad spectrum of institutional and development partners, including Federal Ministry of Interior, Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, National Bureau of Statistics, National Identity Management Commission, National Orientation Agency, Nigeria Immigration Service, National Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, The Judiciary, UNICEF and other partners

Harmonized marriage and divorce registration is widely regarded as a cornerstone of inclusive civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) systems in Nigeria. By aligning the practices of statutory, customary, and religious marriage registries under a unified protocol, the initiative is expected to close long-standing data gaps, strengthen legal protection for spouses, particularly women and children, and support evidence-based policy and planning at national and sub-national levels.

The North-Central consultation is one in a series of zonal engagements expected to culminate in the validation and adoption of a national harmonized protocol.