By Jane Salihu
The Federal Government has called on state governments to embrace data-driven planning and deepen collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education as part of efforts to reposition Nigeria’s education sector for sustainable growth and improved learning outcomes.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, made the call on Tuesday while declaring open a five-day Executive Retreat for Honourable Commissioners of Education, organised by the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education (COSCEN).
The Minister said the success of the education reforms being championed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda depends largely on strong federal-state collaboration, noting that while the Federal Government provides policy direction, state governments remain at the forefront of delivering quality education.
According to him, education remains the country’s strongest instrument for economic transformation, national security and long-term development, stressing that decisions affecting the sector must be guided by reliable data rather than assumptions.
As part of efforts to strengthen planning and accountability, Dr. Alausa unveiled two digital platforms—the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) and the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS)—which he said would consolidate education data from schools, local governments, states and federal institutions into a unified digital system.
He explained that the platforms would generate real-time information on school enrolment, teacher distribution, infrastructure, learning outcomes and other critical indicators required for effective policy formulation, budgeting and monitoring.
The Minister urged state governments to complete their Annual School Census through the digitised platform, commending Kaduna and Borno States for their progress while encouraging other states to accelerate implementation.
He disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Education has also introduced digital dashboards and smart boards to improve evidence-based decision-making, with technical support from the National Bureau of Statistics to enhance data analysis across the education sector.
Dr. Alausa further challenged Commissioners of Education to maximise opportunities under the World Bank-supported HOPE Education Programme, which provides US$552 million in performance-based financing for states that meet agreed implementation benchmarks.
He noted that although every state qualifies for the intervention, several have yet to fulfil key conditions, including signing Subsidiary Loan Agreements, opening dedicated programme accounts and meeting mandatory data reporting requirements.
The Minister urged Commissioners to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education and the World Bank to complete the necessary processes and unlock the funds for education development.
To sustain ongoing reforms, he proposed quarterly meetings of state Commissioners of Education to review progress, exchange ideas, share successful strategies and strengthen accountability nationwide.
Dr. Alausa also highlighted ongoing reforms under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), including the expansion of affordable digital learning platforms, offline instructional technologies, comprehensive learning resources from Primary One to Senior Secondary School and digital tools to support teachers.
He, however, cautioned against focusing solely on expensive smart school projects without adequate plans for maintenance, insisting that investments in teachers, instructional materials and conducive learning environments would have a greater impact on learning outcomes.
Reaffirming that education is a collective national responsibility, the Minister called on governments and stakeholders to institutionalise reliable education data, strengthen accountability mechanisms and sustain reforms capable of improving educational standards across the country.
In his keynote address titled “Beyond the Tenure of Commissioners: Sustaining Education Reforms in the Era of Digital Disruption,” former Minister of Aviation and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Mr. Osita Chidoka, urged education commissioners to pursue reforms that transcend political administrations.
Chidoka said durable progress in the education sector would only be achieved through policy continuity, investment in teachers, effective use of data and sustained commitment to improving learning outcomes.
Also speaking, the Senior Economist and Task Team Leader for the HOPE Education Programme at the World Bank, Mr. Shin Nomura, who represented the World Bank Country Director, said the programme became operational in March 2026 and is designed to strengthen education governance, financing, teacher development and data systems through a performance-based funding framework.
He encouraged states to complete all outstanding requirements to enable them access the available funding and accelerate education reforms.
