The federal government has initiated plans to deploy a unified education data infrastructure aimed at centralising and securely managing information across all levels of Nigeria’s education system.
The initiative, discussed at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday, brought together representatives of relevant ministries, state commissioners of education, researchers and academics, and was convened to deepen understanding of the framework and its expected impact on education planning and delivery.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said Nigeria had for years operated with limited and fragmented data in the education sector, describing the situation as a major constraint to effective planning and implementation.
He said the proposed Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) would address gaps by capturing comprehensive information across schools, students, teachers, infrastructure, curricula, and other key components of the education system.
“NEDI will provide the opportunity to plan better, budget better, and collectively intervene where necessary. Government will use it for evidence-based planning and policy development, effective budgeting at all levels, and targeted investments in infrastructure and capacity building, among others,” he said.
He added that schools and communities would also benefit from improved monitoring of learner outcomes and greater accountability in education delivery.
“Schools and communities will use the infrastructure to monitor learners’ outcomes, track investments and improvements in education delivery, and promote multi-stakeholder participation and ownership,” he added.
Alausa further said the platform would support development partners in aligning interventions with national priorities while enhancing transparency and accountability in the sector.
He also disclosed that the system would integrate each learner’s profile with the National Identity Number (NIN), a move he said would curb identity-related malpractice in the education system.
“The era of examination and identity fraud, miracle centres and malpractices in the education sector is over,” he declared.
Coordinator of NEDI, Abubakar Isah, said the initiative was developed to serve as a single source of truth for education data across basic, secondary, and tertiary levels.
He explained that the platform would collect, harmonise, analyse and utilise data at scale, while tracking learners’ academic progression from school to the workplace.
“It is technology-driven, hence it collects, harmonises, analyses and utilises data at scale,” he said.
Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim, said the initiative would strengthen evidence-based policymaking and improve outcomes for children and vulnerable groups.
She noted that reliable education data would enhance efforts in child protection, girls’ education, social inclusion, and family development.
“For us at the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, this initiative is particularly important because reliable educational data will strengthen our work in child protection, family development, girls’ education, social inclusion and support for vulnerable groups,” she said.
