The Federal Ministry of Education is set to officially launch the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) on July 1 as part of efforts to improve data management and strengthen planning across Nigeria’s education sector.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the National Project Coordinator of the Special Programmes Operations and Implementation Unit (SPOIU), Adebayo Onigbanjo, described DNEMIS as a key component of the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative.
According to him, the digital platform is designed to standardise education data collection and management across all levels of learning, replacing fragmented systems that have long affected effective planning and decision-making.
Onigbanjo explained that the platform will create a unified database covering learners, teachers, schools and education investments, enabling government agencies to improve policymaking, budgeting, monitoring and service delivery using real-time information.
He noted that unreliable and inconsistent education data has weakened accountability and limited the sector’s ability to address emerging challenges, stressing that the new system will place data at the centre of education reforms.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Education on Digital Communications and E-Learning, Mojoyin Adebajo, said DNEMIS will digitise the Annual School Census and provide an interactive portal through which selected official education data will be accessible to the public.
She explained that the platform will allow government agencies, researchers, development partners, civil society organisations, journalists, private sector stakeholders and members of the public to access reliable education statistics and participate more effectively in discussions on education policy.
UNICEF Education Specialist for Planning, Monitoring, Data and Research, Saka Ibraheem, disclosed that the long-term objective is to integrate all education management platforms into a single national system before the end of next year.
He said the integrated system will combine the Education Management Information System, Teacher Management Information System and individual learner records into one database. It will also introduce unique identification numbers for learners, making it easier to monitor school enrolment, track out-of-school children and reduce dropout rates.
The Coordinator of the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure, Abubakar Isah, assured that the platform has been developed in line with Nigeria’s data protection laws to ensure the security and privacy of education records.
The launch of DNEMIS comes shortly after the commencement of National Learning Assessment Week, a nationwide exercise aimed at generating accurate data on students’ learning outcomes across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to support education planning and policy reforms.
