The Federal Government has expressed concern that some regions in Nigeria still record poor literacy and numeracy levels despite receiving a large share of education funding from development partners over the past decade.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, raised the concern during a stakeholders’ workshop on the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure held in Abuja.
According to the minister, nearly 80 per cent of investments from donor agencies and development partners in the education sector over the last 10 years were concentrated in two geopolitical zones, yet those regions continue to rank among the lowest in literacy and numeracy performance nationwide.
He explained that the situation highlights the need for reliable and accurate education data to improve planning, policy implementation and allocation of resources across the sector.
Alausa noted that despite the huge interventions and financial support provided in the affected areas, the expected improvement in learning outcomes has not been fully achieved, raising questions about the long-term effectiveness of the investments.
The minister said the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure initiative was created to improve the collection, management and analysis of education-related data to support evidence-based decisions.
He added that the platform would help government authorities and stakeholders identify gaps in the education system, monitor progress and ensure that interventions are directed to areas with the greatest need.
The Federal Government also reaffirmed its commitment to reforming the education sector through improved coordination, technology-driven systems and data-based policies aimed at enhancing learning outcomes across the country.
Alausa urged development partners, state governments and relevant stakeholders to align their interventions with national priorities to ensure that investments lead to measurable improvements in access to quality education.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that the North-West and North-East regions currently have the lowest literacy rates in Nigeria.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, also described the initiative as an important step toward improving educational planning and service delivery through credible and integrated data systems.
She stressed that accurate education data would strengthen child protection, girls’ education, social inclusion and support for vulnerable children and communities nationwide.
