…begins digital annual school census
The Lagos State Government has officially commenced the implementation of the Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) for the 2026 Annual School Census across all public and private primary and secondary schools in the state.
The flag-off ceremony, held at Ikeja Junior Grammar School, Bolade-Oshodi, marked the state’s transition from the traditional manual school census to a fully digital data collection system aimed at improving education planning and management.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, described the initiative as a major milestone in strengthening education planning and governance in Lagos.
According to him, the Annual School Census remains one of the most critical exercises in the education sector because it provides reliable data for planning, policy formulation, budgeting and the equitable distribution of educational resources.
“The migration from a manual process to the Digital National Education Management Information System represents a significant step towards improving the quality, accuracy, credibility and timeliness of education data in Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
Alli-Balogun reaffirmed the state’s commitment to supporting the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda in education, assuring stakeholders that the ministry would provide the necessary technical guidance and support to ensure a seamless implementation of the new system.
He urged school administrators, proprietors of private schools, head teachers, principals and education officers to cooperate fully with census officials by providing accurate, complete and timely information through the digital platform.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Lagos State Coordinating Unit and Acting Statistician-General, Mr. Bashir Temitayo Oseni-Ope, described the introduction of DNEMIS as a strategic intervention that would strengthen data integrity and promote evidence-based decision-making across the education sector.
He stressed that reliable education data is essential for effective policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation, adding that the success of the digital census depends on the active participation and commitment of every school in the state.
The Annual School Census is the official source of education statistics in Nigeria, capturing key information on school enrolment, teaching and non-teaching staff, infrastructure, learning facilities and other indicators required for national and state education planning.
The state government said the digital platform is expected to reduce errors associated with manual data collection, improve data validation and analysis, eliminate duplication, enhance transparency and provide real-time information for strategic planning and improved service delivery.
The ministry, therefore, called on all public and private primary and secondary schools in the state to actively participate in the 2026 Annual School Census and comply fully with the Digital National Education Management Information System in line with the Federal Government’s directive.
