By Victoria Okpanachi
The Kogi State Government has adopted the Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), initiative as the 2025/2026 Annual School Census commences across the state.
The initiative is aimed at generating accurate and reliable data to strengthen educational planning, policy formulation and service delivery across the state.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, speaking at the launch and sensitisation meeting held in Lokoja recently, charged stakeholders to work together to guarantee a smooth and comprehensive census exercise.
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The governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, said the Annual School Census remains a critical tool for obtaining reliable information on schools, teachers, infrastructure and learners, which serves as the foundation for evidence-based decision-making in the education sector.
He said the government will take the 2026 Annual School Census seriously as all learners will be given a Learners identification number (LIN) and without which beneficiaries will not benefit from such initiatives of the State Government like the payment of WAEC fees, Mock, BECE, Basic Six and Common Entrance Examinations.
According to him, the platform is designed to provide accurate, real-time and verifiable data that will support planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation of educational programmes at both state and national levels.
He reassured private school proprietors that the census exercise is not intended for taxation purposes but rather to generate accurate statistics needed to strengthen educational development.
He urged all schools, whether public or private, to provide complete and truthful information during the data collection process.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Educational Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Education, Dr Animoku Elizabeth, described the Annual School Census as a strategic exercise that enables governments to identify gaps, allocate resources effectively and improve learning outcomes.
According to her, a major feature of the new system is the introduction of the Learner Identification Number (LIN), which will assign every learner a unique digital identity throughout their educational journey.
Dr Animoku further disclosed that every school would be assigned a unique DNEMIS identification number, while learners would receive individual LINs that could be tracked nationwide.
