By Funmilayo Adeyemi
The Federal Ministry of Education says it will officially unveil the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) on July 1 to strengthen education planning, governance and service delivery through reliable data.
Mr Adebayo Onigbanjo, National Project Coordinator, Special Programmes Operations and Implementation Unit (SPOIU), Office of the Minister of Education, made this known on Monday at a news conference in Abuja ahead of the unveiling.
Onigbanjo said the initiative was a key component of the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), being implemented under the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa.
He said the ministry had prioritised education data as a strategic national asset to improve governance, accountability and evidence-based decision-making.
“For many years, education planning and administration relied on fragmented systems, inconsistent reporting processes and limited access to reliable and timely data.
“These challenges constrained effective planning, weakened accountability and limited the sector’s ability to respond to emerging realities,” he said.
He explained that the ministry developed the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) to coordinate, standardise and strengthen education data management across all levels of education.
According to him, DNEMIS is a flagship component of NEDI, designed to provide timely, reliable and accessible information to support planning, policymaking, budgeting, monitoring and service delivery.
He added that the platform would ensure every learner, school, teacher and education investment was captured in a system that supports evidence-based decision-making.
“The progress recorded through NEDI and the implementation of DNEMIS reflects the ministry’s broader commitment to ensuring that reforms are not only announced but effectively coordinated, implemented and measured.
“Data is no longer a back-office function. It is becoming the engine of education reform in Nigeria,” Onigbanjo said.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the Minister on Digital Communications and E-Learning, Ms Mojoyin Adebajo, said DNEMIS marked a major milestone in Nigeria’s digital education transformation.
Adebajo said the platform would digitise the Annual School Census process and provide government with timely information to support planning, budgeting, policymaking and improved service delivery.
She explained that the portal would, for the first time, make selected official education data publicly accessible through an interactive platform.
According to her, the portal would enable government institutions, researchers, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector, journalists and members of the public to access and engage with education information.
“This represents an important step towards expanding access to information and encouraging broader participation in conversations that shape the future of education in Nigeria,” she said.
She added that the ministry remained committed to leveraging technology and innovation to strengthen education governance and improve learning outcomes across the country.
The NEDI Coordinator, Abubakar Isah, said the ministry had taken adequate measures to ensure compliance with Nigeria’s data protection laws and safeguard education data.
Also, Saka Ibraheem, Education Specialist, Planning, Monitoring, Data and Research at UNICEF, said the goal was to integrate all education management platforms into a single system.
“Before next year, we hope to have the Education Management Information System (EMIS), Teacher Management Information System (TMIS) and individual learner records in one system.
“One system for education and one system for Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the integrated system would have a unique identifier to track school enrolment and out-of-school children across the country.
According to him, the system would help reduce school dropouts by enabling seamless tracking of learners as they move through the education system. (NAN) www.nannews.ng