By Felix Khanoba
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to improve education planning and policy implementation with the launch of the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), urging state governments, local government education authorities and private school operators to fully enrol on the platform to ensure comprehensive and reliable data for the sector.
Speaking at the official unveiling of the platform in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the success of ongoing reforms in the education sector depends largely on the availability of credible data that can guide policy decisions, resource allocation and effective monitoring.
The minister explained that the digital platform captures critical information on schools, including classroom facilities, teacher strength, student enrolment, computer availability, water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, among other indicators needed to assess the performance of educational institutions nationwide.
According to him, DNEMIS will modernise education data management by enabling governments at all levels to gather, analyse and utilise real-time information to identify gaps and channel interventions where they are most needed.
“You have to get the data right. Data allows us to monitor, design interventions, evaluate outcomes and plan proactively for the future. Without accurate data, meaningful development is impossible,” Alausa said.
He praised development partners, including the World Bank, the European Union, the Norwegian Government, UNICEF and other international organisations, for supporting the Federal Government in establishing the digital education database.
The minister disclosed that although the implementation process encountered delays, assistance from development partners significantly accelerated the project’s completion.
“We were ready to invest whatever it took because without data, we would not know where development is needed. Our partners helped us overcome significant challenges and shortened the implementation timeline considerably,” he said.
Alausa also commended ICT professionals and international collaborators whose expertise contributed to building an integrated and sustainable education information system for the country.
He assured stakeholders that the Federal Government would continue working with development partners to keep the platform functional, inclusive and responsive to the needs of the education sector.
The minister called on private school proprietors across the country to upload their institutional data to the national database, assuring them that the exercise is solely for planning purposes and not a means of imposing taxes.
“When you saw the demonstration, almost 90 per cent of public school data had been captured, but private schools were only at about 50 per cent. I want to encourage every private school to register and upload its data.
“Do not worry, the government is not collecting this information to tax you. We recognise the critical role private schools play in Nigeria’s education sector,” he stated.
He noted that privately owned schools now constitute a substantial share of Nigeria’s basic education system, making their inclusion in the national database essential for effective planning.
“Nearly three-quarters of junior secondary schools are privately owned, and that number continues to grow. We need every school to be part of this system because education planning must reflect the realities on the ground,” he added.
Alausa further stated that education commissioners, local government education authorities and school administrators would have access to real-time information through the platform, enhancing evidence-based decision-making and service delivery.
According to him, the database currently contains information from about 90,000 public schools, while efforts are ongoing to achieve full coverage of public and private educational institutions nationwide.
He observed that with more than 50 million learners in Nigeria’s education system, dependable and up-to-date data has become indispensable for national education planning.
“We are building a system that will support policy decisions, improve accountability and strengthen education delivery across the country. Every stakeholder has a responsibility to ensure the information is complete and accurate,” he said.
The minister also urged state governments to intensify sensitisation campaigns and mobilise schools within their jurisdictions to participate in the initiative, while reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to continuous stakeholder engagement aimed at improving data quality and expanding the platform’s coverage.
Also speaking at the event, the Director-General of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, pledged the agency’s support for the initiative, describing DNEMIS as Nigeria’s central and reliable repository for education data.
He said the bureau would integrate its data systems with the Ministry of Education’s platform to improve planning, policy implementation and monitoring.
“We just want one true source of data for education, and we are going to link the NBS platform with the ministry’s system so we can produce and disseminate reliable education statistics with wider national coverage,” he said.
Adeniran added that the NBS would also contribute to the platform by mapping out-of-school children through household surveys and deploying its Small Area Estimation data to validate information generated by the education database.
According to him, “The data that comes from our Small Area Estimation will help validate and cross-check what is on the education platform.”
The AUTHORITY reports that DNEMIS is expected to drive the digital transformation of education management in Nigeria by supporting learner tracking, monitoring school safety, improving data-driven planning and strengthening learning outcomes across the country.
