From Olu Samuel, Lokoja
Education stakeholders in Kogi State, have pledged full support for the 2025/2026 Annual School Census (ASC) as the state’s Education Ministry officially launched the exercise on the Federal Government’s Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) portal.
The pledge came on Monday during a stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting at Government House, Lokoja, ahead of the census commencement on June 24.
Attended by education agencies, past commissioners, NGOs, media, religious leaders and Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the meeting focused on preparations for statewide data capture and the migration from manual to digital reporting.
The Commissioner for Education, Wemi Jones, said the census provides statistical evidence for education policy, planning, and resource allocation.
”Under DNEMIS, every school will receive a 10-digit ID while each learner will be assigned a Learner Identification Number (LIN), linked to WAEC/NECO records,” he said.
Jones stressed that every child must have a LIN to access government education incentives.
He also expressed gratitude to Governor Ahmed Ododo for prioritising education in the state with 30 per cent annual budget allocation.
Jones stressed that Kogi is spending so much annually on school renovation, payment of examination fees, construction, and payment of teachers.
He insisted that the 30 per cent allocation to education should never go down, saying “that is why we are taking this annual school census programme very seriously.”
The commissioner cautioned that failure to upload data would cause under-reporting for the state.
In their goodwill messages, stakeholders commended the government’s push for accurate data.
Former Commissioner for Education, Dr Rosemary Osikoya, warned that “there will be no system if the structures are not there.”
She noted that private schools often withhold full data to evade tax, and many educational managers, including non-formal and skills centres, do not keep proper records despite Nigeria’s data and record-keeping laws.
“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.
Osikoya urged all schools to check Kogi Education EMIS and ensure their records are updated.
Amb. Idris Muraina of Kogi NGO Network (KONGONET), said “data is the lifeline of any development,” while DCC Ekigwe Raymond from NSCDC, urged collaboration with school heads to ensure safety through community-based committees and security agencies.
Representatives of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), and All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), praised the ministry for carrying private schools along in policy decisions.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr Albert Alabi, reinforced the need for qualitative and accurate data.
The Director, Educational Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS), Dr Elizabeth Animoku, said the ASC is valuable but faces challenges with incomplete data, stakeholder resistance over taxation fears, and low participation.
She clarified that ASC is for planning, research, and policy, not taxation, noting that awareness campaigns would show schools how accurate data improves teaching and resource allocation.
She said the ministry would train school data officers, starting with Lokoja LGA, before zonal advocacy meetings.
According to her, the meetings will hold in Western Zone on June 19 in Kabba, Kogi Central on June 22 in Okene, and Kogi East on June 23 in Anyigba.
She said the 2025/2026 Annual School Census would officially commenced on June 24.
