Education: FG engages stakeholders on data management
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, has held its fourth National Conference on Education Management Information System (NCoEMIS) aimed at improving data management in the education sector.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of the seven-day conference (June 16 to June 23) is, “Sustainability and Maintenance of Online Data Generation using Tablets and Androids.”
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, while delivering his speech in Gombe on Thursday at the closing ceremony of the conference, said the engagement would help improve data production and management process in the country.
Represented by Prof Is-haq Oloyede, the Registrar and Chief Executive of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Adamu said the provision of credible, reliable and timely data was relevant for the contemporary education sector.
According to him, provision of data is imperative for evidenced-based planning, policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development interventions and reform initiatives.
“Unfortunately for all sectors of the Nigerian economy, such data is usually non-existent, inadequate and/or inaccurate.
“It is for this reason and in line with the Ministerial Strategic Plan (2018 2022) that the Federal Ministry of Education prioritised resolving the data gap in the education sector.
“I am happy to report today that we are making tremendous progress in ensuring the production, availability and reporting of consistent and timely data to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).
“As at today, the 2019 – 2021 data are all processed and ready for national and global dissemination.”
The minister said leveraging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in all spheres of life had brought ease, speed and minimal human errors.
Adamu expressed optimism that the outcome of the conference would help improve on the automation of education data production and management process in line with the evolving global trends in Artificial Intelligence.
He stated that the inadequate funding of Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) activities had hampered the collection and processing of data at different levels over the year.
“That is why the third National Conference on EMIS recommended the need to allocate 0.5 per cent of the UBEC matching grant of each State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and 0.5 per cent states’ budget of the Ministry of Education for EMIS activities,” he said.
Adamu commended the Gombe State government for improvements made in the education sector, which he said had resulted to “increase in school enrolment, literacy, numeracy and positive learning outcomes.”
Declaring the conference closed, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State said education had remained a priority for his administration since assuming office in 2019.
Represented by his deputy, Manassah Jatau, Yahaya said his administration had embarked on massive infrastructural development projects and teachers training aimed at improving the quality of education for the citizens of the state.
The governor assured that education reforms would be sustained to ensure that the state continued to make meaningful improvement towards reducing out-of-school menace.
In an interview with newsmen, Hajiya Fati Jimeta-Sabo, the commissioner for Education, Science and Technology in Nasarawa State, said the EMIS award to her state was a reflection of the investments that Gov. Sule Abdullahi had made in the sector.
Sabo said over the last three years, there had been continuous increase in the budgetary allocations to the sector aimed at revamping it.
“Education has the lion share of our budget. In 2019, 26 per cent of the budget went for education, in 2020, 30 per cent was given to education and in 2022, 32 per cent,” she said.
Highlights of the event included presentation of the revised National Policy on EMIS 2020 and a software for Alternative School Children (ASC) data capturing Mobile App to be used for the 2021/2022 Annual School Census exercise.
EMIS awards were also presented to the best states in all the zones with Ogun clinching the award in South West; Enugu South East, Bayelsa, South South.
Others include Nasarawa State in North Central; Gombe State in Northeast and Katsina State in North West.
Also, Gombe State was given another award for being the first state in the country to launch its data into the official website of the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS). (NAN)
