The Federal government has urged State governments, Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) and private school proprietors to enroll in the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS).
The government stated that accurate education data is critical to effective planning, policymaking and improved learning outcomes across the country.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said this in Abuja during the official launch of the digital platform.
The minister noted that credible data remains the foundation of sustainable education reforms.
According to him, governments cannot effectively tackle the challenges confronting the education sector without reliable and up-to-date statistics.
The DNEMIS is designed as Nigeria’s central digital repository for education data, providing real-time information on schools, classrooms, teachers, learners, computer laboratories, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities, electricity supply and other critical infrastructure required for planning, monitoring and resource allocation.
“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 explained that the platform would transform the way education data is collected, analysed and utilised by enabling governments at all levels to identify infrastructure deficits, deploy teachers more efficiently, monitor enrolment trends and channel investments to communities where they are most needed.
He added that commissioners for education, Local Government Education Authorities and school administrators would now have access to real-time information to support evidence-based decision-making and improve service delivery across the sector.
Alausa said the initiative comes at a critical period as Nigeria seeks to strengthen planning and management within one of Africa’s largest education systems.
The minister said the data available on the platform showed that Nigeria has 213,235 schools, but only 124,548 institutions have so far submitted information, representing a reporting rate of 58.4 per cent.
According to him, the database has captured 40,130,454 learners, 1,193,877 teachers, 730,447 classrooms and 607,508 toilets, underscoring both the size of Nigeria’s education sector and the significant data gaps that still exist.
He noted that poor and fragmented education data has for years undermined effective policymaking, resulting in inadequate teacher deployment, uneven infrastructure distribution and inefficient allocation of limited resources.
The Federal government, Alausa said, is confident that the new platform would address these shortcomings by providing a unified national database for education planning.
The minister noted that although the implementation of the project experienced delays, the intervention of development partners significantly accelerated its rollout.
“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 stated.
The minister hailed development partners, including the World Bank, the European Union (EU), the Norwegian Government, UNICEF, and other international organisations, for supporting the development of the platform.
He also acknowledged the contributions of ICT professionals and international collaborators involved in building what he described as a sustainable and integrated education information system.
Alausa assured all stakeholders that the Federal Government would continue working with development partners to ensure the platform remains functional, inclusive and beneficial to all stakeholders in the education sector.
He urged private school owners nationwide to upload their data to the platform, assuring them that the exercise is not intended to increase taxation.
“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 said.
The minister noted that privately-owned institutions now account for a significant proportion of Nigeria’s basic education system, making their participation essential for generating accurate national education statistics.
“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 added that the platform currently contains data from about 90,000 public schools, while efforts are ongoing to achieve comprehensive coverage of both public and private institutions.
He also urged state governments to intensify awareness campaigns and mobilise schools within their jurisdictions to participate in the exercise.
“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.