Tinubu’s Education Reforms Must Be Driven By Data, Federal, State Partnership – Alausa

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Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa has stated that Nigeria’s education reforms can only succeed through stronger collaboration between the Federal and State Governments.

He said there ought to be a deliberate shift to data-driven decision-making too, describing education as the nation’s most powerful tool for economic growth, national security and sustainable development.

Alausa gave his perspective while speaking at the opening of the Five-Day Executive Retreat for Commissioners of Education, organised by the Committee of States’ Commissioners of Education (COSCEN).

He said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has placed education at the centre of the Renewed Hope Agenda by providing the political leadership and support needed to pursue bold reforms capable of transforming Nigeria’s education sector.

He stressed that while the Federal Government provides policy direction and strategic interventions, the responsibility for delivering quality education rests largely with the states, making stronger collaboration indispensable to achieving meaningful and lasting reforms.

The Minister lauded COSCEN, under the leadership of its Chairman, Dr. Lawal Olohungbebe, for convening the Executive Retreat, describing it as a timely platform for strengthening strategic leadership, fostering peer learning and deepening cooperation among education stakeholders across the country.

He described the transition from assumption-based planning to evidence-based governance as one of the most significant reforms being implemented in Nigeria’s education sector.

He announced the deployment of the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) and the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), explaining that the integrated digital platforms will provide real-time information on learner enrolment, teacher deployment, school infrastructure, learning outcomes and other critical indicators required for effective planning, budgeting, monitoring and resource allocation.

According to him, the new digital ecosystem would integrate education data from schools, local governments, states and federal institutions into a single interoperable platform, providing reliable information to guide policy decisions while improving accountability, transparency and service delivery across the sector.

The Minister urged all states to complete their Annual School Census using 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 already deployed digital dashboards and smart boards to support evidence-based planning, with the National Bureau of Statistics providing additional analytical support to strengthen education planning nationwide.

In a keynote presentation titled “Beyond the Tenure of Commissioners: Sustaining Education Reforms in the Era of Digital Disruption,” Former Aviation Minister and Chancellor of the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership, Mr. Osita Chidoka, challenged Commissioners to build reforms that outlive political administrations. He stressed that lasting improvements in education require policy continuity, reliable data, stronger teacher development, accountability and sustained investment in learning outcomes rather than short-term interventions.

Representing the World Bank Country Director, Mr. Matthew Verghis, the Senior Economist and Task Team Leader for the HOPE Education Programme, Mr. Shin Nomura, reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s education reform agenda through the HOPE Education Programme. He explained that the programme became effective in March 2026 and is designed to improve education governance, financing, teacher development, learning outcomes and data systems through a performance-based financing model. He urged states to complete all preparatory requirements to enable timely access to programme funding.