Nigeria has reinforced its position as a continental leader in education data management following the presentation of its Digital National Education Management Information System, DNEMIS, at the 2026 DHIS2 Annual Conference in Oslo, Norway.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, showcased the country’s education digital transformation journey during the conference, highlighting ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening education planning, governance, monitoring and service delivery through technology-driven solutions.
According to a statement by the Minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Mr. Ikharo Attah, Nigeria’s participation followed an invitation facilitated by UNICEF and the University of Oslo, underscoring growing international recognition of the country’s achievements in deploying data-driven innovations to improve education administration and outcomes.
While addressing participants at the conference, Alausa outlined the Federal Government’s efforts under the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative, NESRI, which prioritises digital innovation and evidence-based policymaking to improve efficiency, accountability and measurable results across all levels of education.
A major highlight of the event was the global unveiling and co-launch of the Digital National Education Management Information System, DNEMIS, a national platform designed to modernise education data collection, management and reporting while enhancing planning and decision-making across the sector.
The Minister explained that DNEMIS is built on the District Health Information Software 2, DHIS2, a globally recognised open-source platform originally developed for health information management and currently supporting more than 31 million users worldwide.
Leveraging the platform’s proven success in transforming health data systems, Nigeria has adapted DHIS2 for education management and now leads global implementation efforts within the education sector.
He noted that Nigeria currently hosts the highest number of education users on the DHIS2 platform, accounting for 32 million of the 45 million education records globally, a development that places the country at the forefront of digital transformation and evidence-based decision-making in Africa’s education sector.
Alausa said Nigeria’s successful deployment of DNEMIS has attracted increasing interest from other African countries seeking practical models for strengthening education data systems and accelerating digital reforms.
He added that the country has established a scalable and replicable framework for designing, deploying and institutionalising education data systems, demonstrating how reliable and near real-time data can improve resource allocation, strengthen interventions and expand access, equity and learning outcomes.
DNEMIS was developed through a collaboration involving the Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF, HISP, the National Education Data Infrastructure, NEDI, and the University of Oslo.
The platform provides near real-time education data to support policy formulation, performance monitoring and improved service delivery nationwide.
The system marks a significant departure from fragmented and largely manual data management processes, replacing them with an integrated digital ecosystem capable of generating timely, credible and actionable intelligence for educational development.
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 critical sectors.
Beyond the conference, Nigeria leveraged the platform to strengthen international partnerships, deepen collaboration in education innovation, institutional capacity development, research and knowledge exchange, while projecting its growing influence in education sector reform across the continent.
While reaffirming the Federal Government’s commitment to ongoing reforms, the Minister stressed that digital innovation must translate into measurable improvements in learning outcomes.
He said initiatives such as DNEMIS would continue to promote transparency, strengthen evidence-based decision-making and position Nigeria as a model for building inclusive, responsive and future-ready education systems across Africa.
