The Federal Government has fixed Wednesday, July 1, 2026, for the official launch of the Digital National Education Information Management System (DNEMIS), a major initiative aimed at transforming education administration through digital technology and data-driven governance.

Speaking ahead of the launch in Abuja on Monday, the National Project Coordinator of the Special Programmes Operations and Implementation Unit in the Office of the Minister of Education, Mr. Adebayo Onigbanjo, revealed that over 32 million students have already been enrolled on the platform.

According to him, DNEMIS serves as the backbone of the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI) under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), providing a unified database to support planning, budgeting, policy formulation and efficient service delivery across the education sector.

Onigbanjo explained that the platform was introduced to replace fragmented and inconsistent education data systems with a reliable digital infrastructure capable of capturing information on every learner, teacher, school and government investment in education.

“For many years, education planning relied on fragmented systems and inconsistent reporting structures. DNEMIS changes that by ensuring every learner, every school, every teacher and every investment in education is captured within a system that supports evidence-based decision-making,” he said.

He described education data as a strategic national asset, stressing that the new system would enhance governance, transparency and accountability while reducing wastage in the sector.

Addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school children challenge, Onigbanjo said the platform would enable government to accurately identify learning gaps, monitor students’ educational progress and channel investments to areas where they are most needed.

He noted that with more than 32 million learners already captured, government now has a clearer picture of enrolment patterns, student retention and dropout rates, making it easier to design targeted interventions.

“We are working towards achieving full visibility of every learner from the day they enter formal education until they complete their educational journey. This will provide government with the information required for effective planning and improved learning outcomes,” he added.

On data privacy concerns, Onigbanjo assured Nigerians that DNEMIS was developed using globally recognised digital architecture with robust safeguards to protect personal information. He explained that sensitive data would remain protected while authorised users would access digital identity profiles without exposing confidential details.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), Abubakar Isah, said the platform fully complies with Nigeria’s data protection regulations and incorporates internationally accepted security standards.

According to him, while schools and state governments will have access to their respective records, communities, alumni associations and development partners will be able to view non-sensitive school information to support educational development and promote accountability.

“The idea is to enable communities to understand the needs of their schools, contribute to their development and also hold government accountable,” Isah stated.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Education on Digital Communications and E-Learning, Miss Mojoyin Adebajo, described DNEMIS as a landmark achievement in Nigeria’s digital education transformation.

She explained that the platform, developed on the globally recognised DHIS2 infrastructure, will digitise the Annual School Census and provide comprehensive information on schools, teachers, learners and education infrastructure nationwide.

Adebajo also disclosed that Wednesday’s event would feature the unveiling of the Public DNEMIS Portal, an interactive online platform that will grant researchers, journalists, civil society organisations, development partners and members of the public access to selected official education data.

She said the initiative underscores the Federal Ministry of Education’s commitment to strengthening evidence-based planning, promoting transparency and leveraging technology to improve educational outcomes across the country.

The Ministry acknowledged the technical support of UNICEF and the University of Oslo in developing the platform and invited stakeholders to participate in Wednesday’s official launch and the inauguration of the DNEMIS State Implementation Teams.