The federal government has called on state governments, local education authorities and private school owners to enrol in the digitalised Nigeria education management information system (DNEMIS), saying accurate data is critical to improving education planning and delivery across the country.
Tunji Alausa, minister of education, made the call in Abuja on Wednesday during the official launch of the digital platform, which is designed to provide real-time information on schools, teachers, enrolment, infrastructure and learning facilities nationwide.
According to the minister, the platform will enable governments at all levels to make evidence-based decisions, identify gaps in the education system and channel resources where they are needed most.
“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.
The minister said DNEMIS captures key indicators, including classrooms, teachers, enrolment, computer facilities, water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, to strengthen monitoring and supervision of schools.
He commended development partners, including the World Bank, the European Union, the Norwegian government and UNICEF, for supporting the development of the platform.
Alausa said the rollout suffered initial delays before international partners stepped in to accelerate implementation.
“We were ready to invest whatever it took because without data, we would not know where development is needed,” the minister said.
“Our partners helped us overcome significant challenges and shortened the implementation timeline considerably.”
He also acknowledged the contributions of ICT experts and technical partners who worked with the ministry to develop what he described as an integrated and sustainable education information system.
The minister said the federal government would continue working with development partners to ensure the platform remains functional, inclusive and beneficial to the entire education sector.
‘WE’RE NOT COLLECTING DATA TO TAX PRIVATE SCHOOLS’
Alausa urged private school proprietors to upload their information to the national database, assuring them that the exercise is intended to improve planning rather than expand the tax net.
“When you saw the demonstration, almost 90 percent 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,” he said.
“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.”
The minister noted that private institutions now account for a substantial share of basic education in Nigeria, making their inclusion in the database essential for effective policymaking.
“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 said the platform currently contains data from about 90,000 public schools, while efforts are ongoing to achieve full coverage of public and private institutions.
He added that education commissioners, local government education authorities and school administrators would have access to real-time information to support planning and service delivery.
The minister said the education sector serves more than 50 million learners, making reliable and up-to-date data indispensable for national 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.
He also urged state governments to intensify awareness campaigns and mobilise schools within their jurisdictions to participate in the exercise.
Semiu Adeniran, director-general of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), pledged the agency’s support for the initiative, describing DNEMIS as Nigeria’s single, reliable source of education data.
Adeniran said the NBS would integrate its systems with the education database to improve planning, implementation and monitoring across the sector.
“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.
He added that the bureau would support the platform by mapping out-of-school children through household surveys and using its Small Area Estimation data to validate information generated by the education database.
“The data that comes from our Small Area Estimation will help validate and cross-check what is on the education platform,” Adeniran said.
