Alausa: Data-driven decisions, FG-states collaboration key to education reforms
Tunji Alausa, minister of education, says Nigeria’s education reforms can only succeed through stronger collaboration between the federal and state governments and a deliberate shift to data-driven decision-making.
Alausa spoke at the opening of a five-day executive retreat for commissioners of education organised by the committee of states’ commissioners of education (COSCEN).
The minister said President Bola Tinubu had placed education at the centre of his renewed hope agenda by providing the political leadership and support needed to pursue reforms capable of transforming the sector.
He said while the federal government provides policy direction and strategic interventions, the responsibility for delivering quality education rests largely with the states.
“Education is the nation’s most powerful tool for economic growth, national security and sustainable development,” Alausa said.
The minister described the transition from assumption-based planning to evidence-based governance as one of the most significant reforms being implemented in the education sector.
He announced the deployment of the national education data infrastructure (NEDI) and the digitalised Nigeria education management information system (DNEMIS), saying the integrated platforms would provide real-time information on learner enrolment, teacher deployment, school infrastructure and learning outcomes.
According to him, the platforms would integrate education data from schools, local governments, states and federal institutions into a single interoperable system to guide policy decisions, budgeting, monitoring and resource allocation.
Alausa urged states to complete their annual school census using the digitised platform, commending Kaduna and Borno for their progress and encouraging other states to accelerate implementation.
He said the Federal Ministry of Education had also deployed digital dashboards and smart boards to support evidence-based planning, while the National Bureau of Statistics was providing additional analytical support.
The minister also urged commissioners to take advantage of the World Bank-supported HOPE Education Programme, which provides $552 million in performance-based financing to states that meet agreed implementation milestones.
He said all 36 states were eligible to benefit from the programme but several were yet to complete critical requirements, including signing subsidiary loan agreements, opening designated programme accounts and fulfilling mandatory data reporting obligations.
Alausa urged the commissioners to work with the education ministry and the World Bank to satisfy the programme’s requirements and unlock additional resources for improving access, learning outcomes and education governance.
He proposed that the council of state commissioners of education institutionalise quarterly review meetings to promote peer learning, monitor progress, exchange best practices and strengthen collective accountability.
Highlighting other priorities under the Nigeria education sector renewal initiative (NESRI), Alausa said the federal government is expanding access to affordable digital learning technologies, including offline instructional platforms, digital learning resources from primary one to senior secondary school and teacher support tools.
He, however, cautioned against investing exclusively in expensive smart school infrastructure without adequate provisions for sustainability and maintenance.
The minister said quality instructional materials, effective teacher support and conducive learning environments remained critical to improving learning outcomes.
Alausa said education is a shared national responsibility that transcended political affiliations and called on stakeholders to institutionalise reliable education data, strengthen accountability, invest in human capital and sustain collaborative reforms.
He urged commissioners to embrace evidence over assumptions, collaboration over isolation and continuity over fragmented reforms, saying Nigeria’s future prosperity and competitiveness would depend on the quality of education provided to its learners.
In a keynote presentation titled “Beyond the Tenure of Commissioners: Sustaining Education Reforms in the Era of Digital Disruption”, Osita Chidoka, former minister of aviation and chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, challenged commissioners to build reforms that would outlive political administrations.
Chidoka said lasting improvements in education required policy continuity, reliable data, stronger teacher development, accountability and sustained investment in learning outcomes rather than short-term interventions.
Representing Matthew Verghis, World Bank country director, Shin Nomura, senior economist and task team leader for the HOPE Education Programme, reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education reform agenda.
Nomura said the programme became effective in March 2026 and was designed to improve education governance, financing, teacher development, learning outcomes and data systems through performance-based financing.
He urged states to complete all preparatory requirements to enable timely access to programme funding.
