Key subcommittees of the Nigeria Education Group (NEG) have presented groundbreaking initiatives aimed at addressing critical challenges in the country’s education system, from data digitization to teacher training and funding reforms.
The Data and Digitalisation Sub-Committee announced the successful migration of the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) to a more secure platform, the Galaxy Backbone.
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The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa praised the supportive alignment of the adaptation of the two regular meetings ahead of the annual meeting with the National Economic and Social Research Institute (NESRI).
He said the strategic move is expected to enhance the quality of education in Nigeria and promote a more cohesive national education agenda.
The Director of Science and Technical Education, Mrs Muyibat Olodo, shed light on the TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) Committee.
Olodo said the initiative, formed in collaboration with UNESCO, the Ministry of Youth Development, and other stakeholders, aims to promote technical and vocational education in Nigeria.
According to her, the committee has processed instructions and trained 1,061 individuals, with more initiatives set to take off soon.
“Our goal is to bring 2,000 schools into a single data repository for better planning.
“Our school attack reporting portal is now fully functional and receiving real-time data.
“Twenty-one states have successfully submitted their 2023-2024 annual school census data through our upgraded NEMIS platform.” She said.
She also revealed partnerships with UNESCO and UNICEF to strengthen real-time data tracking, particularly for school safety and gender-based violence.
The Resource Tracking & Fund Mobilization Sub-Committee highlighted systemic inefficiencies in education financing.
“Funding remains inadequate and inequitable, with over 80% spent on recurrent expenditures like salaries.
“We’re actively engaging private foundations like the Bank of Industry to diversify education funding sources.
“We’ll be conducting specialized training for federal and state education departments on resource tracking analytics.” He said.
The TVET Sub-Committee, disclosed the launch of training centers and rebranding of all Federal Science and Technical Colleges as ‘Federal Technical Colleges’, with 5% of federal funds dedicated to vocational training.
“We’re launching the Master 6 Skills Training Centers and Master 12 Vocational Enterprises before June.
“Our redesigned Technical Colleges program will officially commence in September 2025.
“Through GIZ, we’ve created regional industry forums to give students hands-on work experience.”
“UNESCO has helped us develop digital competency courses for all TVET teachers across Africa.” She said.
Olodo said that the TVET 1,061 teachers had been trained in robotics, welding, and digital skills, and students had won international competitions.
She also praised UNICEF’s Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership for empowering 45,050 young women, including those with disabilities.
