Nigeria's education ministry plans to launch a major digital system next month. The Digital National Education Management Information System, or DNEMIS, will go live on July 1.
Officials say the platform will transform how the country gathers and uses school data. It's designed to replace fragmented systems that have hampered planning for decades.
Adebayo Onigbanjo announced the timeline at a press conference in Abuja on Monday. He coordinates special programmes for the education ministry's office.
The initiative sits at the heart of Nigeria's Education Sector Renewal Initiative. This broader reform effort is led by Education Minister Dr Tunji Alausa.
"For many years, education planning relied on fragmented systems and inconsistent reporting," Onigbanjo said. Data gaps had weakened accountability across the sector, he noted.
The ministry created a Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure to fix these problems. DNEMIS is its flagship component, officials explained.
Every learner, school, and teacher will now be captured in one system. This will support better decision-making based on solid evidence, according to the coordinator.
"Data is no longer a back-office function," Onigbanjo told reporters. "It is becoming the engine of education reform in Nigeria."
Mojoyin Adebajo, the minister's special assistant on digital education, highlighted another key feature. The platform will digitise the Annual School Census process for the first time.
Crucially, selected education data will be made publicly available through an interactive portal. Researchers, journalists, civil society groups, and private companies will gain access.
She said this marks a turning point for transparency in Nigeria's education sector. "This represents an important step towards expanding access to information," Adebajo told those gathered.
Government agencies will use the system for budgeting and policy work. Service delivery improvements are also expected to follow.
Abubakar Isah coordinates the broader data infrastructure project for the ministry. He confirmed that data protection laws will be strictly followed.
Safeguarding education information remains a top priority, Isah assured observers. The ministry has put measures in place to ensure compliance.
UNICEF's education specialist, Saka Ibraheem, backed the initiative at the conference. The goal involves integrating all education management platforms into one coherent system.
Officials say the launch represents months of preparation and coordination. Multiple stakeholders have been involved in building and testing the platform.
The ministry remains committed to using technology for better governance. Education outcomes across the country should improve as a result, officials believe.
