By Ngozi Nwankwo
Federal Government has called on state governments, local government authorities and private school proprietors to fully register on the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System, DNEMIS, saying credible data is key to improving education planning.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, made the call Wednesday in Abuja at the official launch of the digital platform.
Alausa said ongoing reforms in the education sector can only succeed with accurate and comprehensive data.
According to him, DNEMIS captures information on classrooms, teachers, enrolment, ICT facilities, water, sanitation, hygiene and other indicators needed to monitor and supervise schools.
“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,” he said.
The minister said the platform will help governments at all levels identify gaps and deploy resources where they are most needed. He said about 90,000 public schools, representing 90 per cent, are already on the platform, compared to only about half of private schools.
Alausa appealed to private school owners to upload their data, stressing that the exercise was not for taxation.
“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 said.
He noted that private schools account for a significant proportion of basic education institutions in Nigeria, making their inclusion essential for evidence-based policymaking.
The minister commended the World Bank, European Union, Norwegian Government and UNICEF for supporting the project, saying their intervention shortened the implementation timeline after earlier delays.
He also said state commissioners, local government education authorities and school administrators would have access to real-time data to support planning and service delivery.
Statistician-General of the Federation, Semiu Adeyemi Adeniran, pledged the National Bureau of Statistics’ support for DNEMIS, describing it as Nigeria’s single, reliable source of education data.
“We just want one true source of data for education, and we are going to link the NBS platform with the ministry’s system,” Adeniran said.
He added that NBS will support the platform by mapping out-of-school children through household surveys and validating data with its Small Area Estimation figures.
Alausa said the education sector serves more than 50 million learners, underscoring the need for timely and accurate data for national planning.
