The Federal Government has inaugurated a 25-member implementation committee to drive the Nigerian Education Data Initiative (NEDI).
The minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa inaugurated the committee in Abuja on Monday.
Alausa stated that the committee “represents a transformative milestone in our collective mission to reposition the Nigerian education sector as a beacon of excellence”.
He noted that for too long, Nigeria’s education system had been hindered by the absence of a unified and comprehensive data framework.
The minister who doubles as the chairman of the committee whose membership was drawn from the education ministry, JAMB, NBTE, NUC and UBEC, noted that the country’s education had been fragmented, inconsistent, with incomplete data, spread across various institutions, agencies, and states.
This, he explained had also impeded the nation’s ability to make informed decisions, allocate resources effectively, and measure progress with accuracy.
The minister further disclosed that the Nigerian Education Data Initiative (NEDI) was a bold response to these longstanding challenges. Through NEDI, “we are embarking on an ambitious journey to establish a centralised, harmonised databank with a unified platform that will consolidate all critical education data in Nigeria”, Alausa said.
He pointed out that the databank will not merely house information but serve as the foundation for evidence-based decision-making and policy development, enabling us to deliver quality education that meets the aspirations of every Nigerian child.
He also explained that the vision for NEDI is to build a robust Nigerian Education Databank that provides a 360-degree view of the education system, adding that “this databank will consolidate records from primary school to tertiary institutions, leveraging the National Identity Number (NIN) as a unique identifier for every student,”
He further informed that the framework would assist in tracking the educational journey of every Nigerian child, ensuring no one is left behind.
On the key focus of databank, Alausa said this will encompass a wide range of data categories that reflect the realities and complexities of our education system.
The minister charged members of the Implementation Committee to approach the assignment with the utmost dedication, professionalism, and a sense of purpose, stressing that “the future of Nigeria’s education system depends on your ability to deliver on this mandate”.
In her welcome address, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed said the Initiative was designed to address the challenges facing the education sector by establishing a centralised, secure, and robust data repository.
“This repository will seamlessly integrate data from basic to tertiary levels, supported by the National Identity Management Commission’s unique identification system. This visionary project is poised to revolutionize how we track student progress, institutional performance, and the overall impact of our policies”, she said.
