The Federal Government has concluded plans to launch the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), a unified digital platform designed to transform education data management, strengthen evidence-based policymaking and improve service delivery across Nigeria’s education sector.
The platform, which will be unveiled alongside the Public DNEMIS Portal and the inauguration of DNEMIS State Implementation Teams, represents a major milestone in the implementation of the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), one of the flagship reforms under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) championed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa.
Speaking during a pre-launch media briefing in Abuja on Monday, the National Project Coordinator of the Special Programmes Operations and Implementation Unit in the Office of the Minister of Education, Adebayo Onigbanjo, said the initiative was developed to address decades of fragmented, inconsistent and unreliable education data that have hindered effective planning, policymaking, monitoring and governance in the sector.
He explained that NEDI provides a comprehensive national framework for harmonising and standardising education data management across all levels of the education system, with DNEMIS serving as its flagship digital platform.
According to Onigbanjo, the new system will provide timely, reliable and accessible data to support planning, budgeting, policymaking, monitoring and improved service delivery while ensuring that every learner, teacher, school and public investment in education is captured in a unified national database.
“The initiative reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that education reforms are driven by credible evidence rather than assumptions,” he said.
He added that the implementation of NEDI and DNEMIS demonstrates the ministry’s determination to ensure reforms are effectively coordinated, monitored and evaluated.
“Data is no longer a back-office function; it is now the engine driving education reform in Nigeria,” Onigbanjo stated.
Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the Minister of Education on Digital Communications and E-Learning, Mojoyin Adebajo, said the platform was developed on the globally recognised District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) platform to modernise education administration and strengthen evidence-based decision-making.
She explained that DNEMIS would digitise the Annual School Census, replacing largely manual data collection processes with an integrated digital system capable of generating accurate, real-time information on schools, learners, teachers and education infrastructure.
According to her, the innovation will improve resource allocation, enhance programme monitoring and support more effective planning and service delivery across the education sector.
Adebajo further disclosed that the Public DNEMIS Portal would, for the first time, make selected official education data publicly accessible to researchers, policymakers, journalists, development partners, civil society organisations and members of the public.
She said the initiative would promote transparency, improve access to credible information and encourage broader stakeholder participation in shaping the future of education in Nigeria.
The Federal Ministry of Education also acknowledged the technical support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the University of Oslo, describing the partnership as critical to accelerating sustainable education reforms.
The ministry said the introduction of DNEMIS is expected to bridge longstanding gaps in education data management by providing a single, integrated and trusted national database capable of supporting real-time decision-making, strengthening coordination between federal and state education institutions and advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda for quality education.
It reaffirmed its commitment to working closely with state governments, development partners and other stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the digital platform and build a transparent, technology-driven, efficient and globally competitive education system that delivers quality learning opportunities for every Nigerian child.