NIGERIA MOVES TO REVAMP DATA COLLATION SYSTEM IN EDUCATIONAL SECTOR
NIGERIA MOVES TO REVAMP DATA COLLATION SYSTEM IN EDUCATIONAL
SECTOR
Dr Tunde Adekola; Minister of State
for Education, Prof. Anthony Onwuka; Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of
Education, Mr Sunny Echono; Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Science and
Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela; and Kogi State Commissioner for Education,
Science and Technology, Dr Tolorunleke Sunday
The Nigerian government says it has
taken steps at collating timely statistics for effective planning and policy
making in the educational sector.
This was disclosed by the Minister of
State for Education, Anthony Anwukah, at the launch of Nigeria Digest of
Education statistics 2014-2016 and Nigeria Education Indicators for 2016 in
Abuja.
He said the government had made funds
available to the Nigeria Education Management Information System, NEMIS, in
order to ”meet up with the 21st century global best data reporting practices.”
Similarly, the permanent secretary at
the Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny Echono, said timely, accurate,
credible and reliable data is important in the society especially the education
sector.
“We live in a global information
society where the flow of data and information is constantly evolving. Big data
and analysis is one of the growth centres of the new knowledge – driven
economy,” he said.
According to him, how the nation
”gathers, strives, processes, analyses and utilises data constitutes the most
significant index in determining Nigeria global standing and completeness.”
“It is not surprising that states
like Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Anambra and Lagos, which have privatised
and adopted a culture of planning are taking the lead in addressing such
challenges as out-of-school children and the overall quality of education in
their respective states,” he said.
He said lack of accurate data has
impacted negatively on the nation’s planning process and the image of the
country internationally.
Similarly the Minister of the FCT,
Muhammed Bello, who was represented by Theresa Mbono, said accurate data makes
service delivery in the city more efficient and properly managed.
“FCT has conducted 2015/2016
secondary school annual census so data is when proper and systematic planning
are built,” he argued.
Meanwhile, the representative of
International Development Partners, IDP, Olatunde Adekola, said the mission to
generate adequate data demonstrated that the Nigerian government is committed
to openness and accountability.
He also explained the need for a
viable database in the education sector.
“Credible data is crucial to
attaining sustainable development and Nigerians will be able to ask questions
on issues arising in the education sector. But publications like this need
collaboration across the globe which includes state and non-state actors,” he
said.
In her reaction, Matthew Nganijiozor
from NEMIS, said one of the major challenges faced in collating data in the
education sector is that students do not avail themselves of census in schools
especially those in military, paramilitary and private schools.
