A FRAMEWORK FOR BIRTH DATA REGISTRATION AND VERIFICATION USING SMART CONTRACTS, PUBLIC KEY ENCRYPTION, AND NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (NIN)

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The digitization of birth registration using blockchain technology has emerged as a potential solution to address the challenges faced by traditional birth registration systems. The use of blockchain offers decentralization, security, and transparency, which can help improve the integrity and reliability of birth records. Existing security solutions, such as centralized architectures, high computation and communication costs, and lack of scalability, robustness, and auditability, have limitations that blockchain can overcome. The designed framework proposed in this study aims to simplify the birth registration process and enhance data transfer, transparency, and effective record maintenance using blockchain technology, specifically the Corda platform. The framework includes steps such as registering birth data, issuing digital birth certificates, storing a digital copy of the certificate, and verifying the integrity of the certificate using smart contracts. The use of private encryption further enhances the security of the birth records. To evaluate the performance of the framework, the BLOCKBENCH evaluation framework is used, which measures parameters such as latency, throughput, fault tolerance, and scalability. The results of the evaluation using Corda as a case study show that as the number of nodes increases from 1 to 50, the latency decreases and the throughput increases, indicating higher scalability values. This suggests that Corda achieves good scalability with moderate network growth. The proposed framework using Corda blockchain platform is recommended for local governments and healthcare centers to improve the birth registration process, enhance the integrity and security of birth records, and enable efficient record management. The use of blockchain technology can help address the challenges faced by traditional birth registration systems, such as lack of interoperability, unverifiable declarations of age, and low credibility of birth certificates due to corruption. However, it is important to carefully consider the implementation and customization of the framework to suit the specific requirements and regulations of each local government or healthcare center.