The Anambra State Government has given all public, mission and private primary and secondary schools until September 24, 2026, to complete and submit their 2025/2026 Annual School Census data, warning that defaulters could face severe penalties.
The directive was issued by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr Ifeoma Agbaizu, on behalf of the Commissioner for Education, following a requirement from the Federal Ministry of Education for schools to upload their records through the DNEMIS/DHIS2 platform.
The exercise covers every primary and secondary school operating in the state, including public institutions, mission schools and private establishments. Both approved and unapproved private schools are expected to participate.
According to the ministry, the census is not a voluntary data-gathering exercise. Agbaizu described participation as mandatory and instructed school authorities to treat the submission as a priority.
The directive also requires heads of schools and operators to provide complete and accurate information, scrutinise entries before submission and ensure that their records are successfully uploaded before the deadline.
School-level training has already been conducted for public and private institutions across Anambra to familiarise operators with the submission process and facilitate compliance with the federal reporting requirement.
The inclusion of unapproved private schools means the exercise is designed to capture a comprehensive picture of the state’s education landscape rather than records from formally recognised institutions alone.
Such data can provide authorities with information on the number and distribution of schools operating within the state, alongside other details contained in the annual census.
Agbaizu also instructed school administrators to ensure that no institution under their supervision is left out of the exercise.
She cautioned that schools that fail to meet the September 24 deadline would face severe sanctions or penalties. The warning places the responsibility for timely submission directly on school heads and operators, who are expected to verify their entries before transmitting the information.
The Permanent Secretary consequently called on all affected institutions to begin immediate preparations where they have yet to complete the process.
The Annual School Census forms part of the education sector’s data management system, with schools expected to furnish government with reliable information through the designated digital platform. The information submitted is intended to support the administration and planning of education services.
With the deadline less than two weeks away, the Anambra Education Ministry has shifted the exercise from routine data collection to a compliance matter, making September 24 the cut-off date for all affected schools to complete their submissions.
READ RELATED NEWS UPDATES
Anambra State to implement new minimum wage October
Anambra ICT agency deploys 25 free Wi-Fi hotspots across state
Anambra to build 30 new primary schools after Soludo’s re-election landslide
