FG Unveils Digital System to Track Nigeria's School Data

The Federal Government has announced plans to unveil a digital system to track every Nigerian school and learner. The system, known as the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), is designed to address longstanding challenges associated with fragmented education data. According to Mr. Adebayo Onigbanjo, National Project Coordinator of the Special Programmes Operations and Implementation Unit in the Office of the Minister of Education, the initiative aims to tackle years of weak and inconsistent data collection.

Mr. Adebayo Onigbanjo said the platform would provide timely, reliable, and accessible data to support planning, budgeting, policymaking, monitoring, and service delivery. He explained that every learner, teacher, school, and public investment in education would be captured within a unified national database. The platform would also enable government to generate up-to-date information on schools, learners, teachers, and education infrastructure, leading to better resource allocation and improved monitoring of education programmes.

The platform would digitise the Annual School Census, replacing largely manual data collection processes with a more integrated digital system. This would provide government with timely, reliable, and accessible education data to support planning, budgeting, policymaking, and improved service delivery across Nigeria's education system.

Speaking during a pre-event media briefing in Abuja, Mr. Onigbanjo said the initiative reflected the Federal Government's commitment to ensuring that education policies are driven by evidence rather than estimates. He added that data was no longer a back-office function but had become the engine of education reform in Nigeria.

The officials also acknowledged the technical support provided by the United Nations Children's Fund and the University of Oslo in developing the initiative. The Public DNEMIS Portal would make selected official education data publicly accessible to researchers, journalists, development partners, civil society organisations, policymakers, and the general public.

The introduction of the platform is a major step towards improving planning, policymaking, and service delivery in Nigeria's education sector. It is expected to enhance transparency, accountability, and coordination across federal and state institutions.

And with this development, every learner, teacher, school, and public investment in education will be captured within a unified national database. This would enable the government to generate up-to-date information on schools, learners, teachers, and education infrastructure. Consequently, better resource allocation and improved monitoring of education programmes are expected.

The platform would also enable the government to make informed decisions based on reliable data. This would lead to improved planning, budgeting, policymaking, and service delivery in the education sector. The initiative is expected to have a positive impact on the education sector in Nigeria.