By David Bolarinwa Nigeria has positioned itself as a leading force in education data management across Africa after showcasing its Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) at the 2026 DHIS2 Annual Conference in Oslo, Norway. The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, presented Nigeria’s education digital transformation journey……
By David Bolarinwa
Nigeria has positioned itself as a leading force in education data management across Africa after showcasing its Digital National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS) at the 2026 DHIS2 Annual Conference in Oslo, Norway.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, presented Nigeria’s education digital transformation journey at the conference, highlighting the country’s efforts to strengthen education planning, governance, monitoring and service delivery through technology-driven solutions.
In a statement by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah on Tuesday, he stated that Nigeria’s participation followed an invitation from UNICEF and the University of Oslo, a development that reflects growing international recognition of the country’s progress in deploying digital tools to improve education outcomes.
Speaking at the conference, Alausa said the Federal Government had deliberately prioritised digital innovation and evidence-based reforms under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) to improve efficiency, accountability and measurable outcomes across the education sector.
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A major highlight of the event was the global unveiling and co-launch of DNEMIS, a national platform designed to modernise education data collection, management and reporting while supporting more effective planning and decision-making.
According to the minister, the platform is built on the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), a globally recognised open-source data system originally developed for health information management and currently used by more than 31 million users worldwide.
“Building on the success of DHIS2 in transforming health data systems globally, Nigeria has successfully adapted the platform for education management and is now leading its implementation across Africa,” Alausa said.
He noted that Nigeria currently hosts the largest number of education users on the DHIS2 platform, placing the country at the forefront of evidence-driven digital transformation in the education sector.
The minister said Nigeria’s experience with DNEMIS has attracted increasing interest from other African countries seeking practical models for strengthening education data systems.
“We have demonstrated that reliable and near real-time education data can significantly improve planning, resource allocation, monitoring and learning outcomes. Nigeria has established a scalable and replicable framework that other countries can adopt in their own education reforms,” he said.
DNEMIS was developed through a partnership involving the Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF, HISP, the National Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), and the University of Oslo.
The platform is part of a growing global education data ecosystem powered by DHIS2. Of the 45 million education records currently hosted on the platform worldwide, Nigeria accounts for about 32 million records, underscoring the scale of the country’s implementation.
Officials said the system represents a major departure from fragmented and largely manual data processes, creating an integrated digital ecosystem capable of generating timely, credible and actionable information for policymakers and education stakeholders.
The DHIS2 Annual Conference brought together ministers, policymakers, development partners, researchers and technology experts from more than 100 countries to explore innovative approaches to digital transformation across education, health and other strategic sectors.
Beyond the conference, Nigeria also used the platform to strengthen international partnerships and expand collaboration in education innovation, institutional capacity building, research and knowledge exchange.
Alausa reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to sustaining ongoing education reforms through digital innovation, stressing that technology must ultimately translate into better outcomes for learners.
“Through DNEMIS and other sector renewal initiatives, Nigeria will continue to lead by example in promoting transparency, strengthening evidence-based decision-making and advancing inclusive, responsive and future-ready education systems across Africa,” he said.
