Kogi begins digital school census to improve education planning

Kogi State has officially launched its 2025/2026 Annual School Census, transitioning to a digital reporting system through the Federal Government's Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) portal. Education stakeholders across the state have pledged their full support for the exercise, which is set to commence statewide data capture on June 24.

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Under DNEMIS, every school will receive a 10-digit ID, while each learner will be assigned a Learner Identification Number, linked to WAEC and NECO records.

The launch occurred during a sensitisation meeting at the Government House in Lokoja, attended by representatives from various education agencies, former commissioners, NGOs, media practitioners, religious leaders, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. The meeting focused on preparing for the migration from manual to digital data reporting.

Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, highlighted the census's critical role in providing statistical evidence for effective education policy formulation, strategic planning, and equitable resource allocation. Under the DNEMIS system, each school will receive a unique 10-digit ID, and every learner will be assigned a Learner Identification Number (LIN). This LIN will be linked to WAEC and NECO records, ensuring that every child has a unique identifier to access government educational incentives.

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That is why we are taking this annual school census programme very seriously.

Jones expressed gratitude to Governor Ahmed Ododo for his commitment to education, evidenced by a consistent 30 percent annual budget allocation. He stressed the importance of maintaining this allocation, stating, "That is why we are taking this annual school census programme very seriously." He cautioned that failure to upload accurate data could lead to under-reporting for the state.

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There will be no system if the structures are not there.

Stakeholders lauded the government's initiative. Former Commissioner for Education, Rosemary Osikoya, warned about the consequences of poor data management, noting that some private schools withhold information to evade taxes and many educational operators lack proper record-keeping. "If we really want money allocated to education, it has to be substantiated by data. When education data is accurate, planning becomes effective," she stated. Representatives from private school associations and principals' confederations also praised the ministry for including them in policy decisions.

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If we really want money allocated to education, it has to be substantiated by data. When education data is accurate, planning becomes effective.