Kaduna, UNICEF Deepens Digital Transformation of Education Data with DHIS2 Training for School Officers

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

The Kaduna State Ministry of Education, in collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners, has begun a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening its Education Management Information System (EMIS) through a statewide training on the use of District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) for Annual School Census data entry.

The capacity-building workshop, which is being conducted across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state, targets school principals, head teachers, and school data officers, and is part of the broader Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) project.

Speaking during an inspection visit to the Kaduna South training centre, Mal. Rabi’u Yunusa, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, emphasized the critical role of data in driving meaningful reforms in the education sector.

“Without accurate data, we won’t be able to plan or track the success and failure of our students, or monitor the resources being invested,.

“With this new initiative by UNICEF and the state government, we are now moving to a reliable, error-free system,” Yunusa said.

He noted that the upgraded system addresses previous complaints, thanks to improvements in technology and accountability. 

He also acknowledged the past misuse and disappearance of data collection devices but affirmed that corrective measures have helped to recover many of the tools.

“This government won’t tolerate misuse of resources. We are now tracking teachers and data officers to ensure they are doing their jobs. The government is committed to providing the right tools to get accurate data,” Yunusa added.

The Permanent Secretary further linked the timing of the training to the commemoration of the Day of the African Child, stating that the training will help determine the actual number of out-of-school children and ensure effective interventions.

“It’s not just about bringing children back to school but ensuring they stay and graduate. That can only happen if we know who they are and where they are,” he said.

On the issue of financing, Yunusa said the challenge is not in budget allocation but in actual release and cash backing of funds.

“It’s not about what’s on paper. If funds aren’t released and backed with cash, implementation suffers, the government of Mallam Uba Sani has been committed to making resources available for education” he stated.

Also speaking, Hassan Dankaita, Deputy Project Coordinator of the ROOSC project, described the EMIS training as a crucial component of system strengthening under the ROOSC framework.

“We used to rely on manual systems with high error rates. This digital platform will now enable us to have accurate and efficient data for planning,” he explained.

According to Dankaita, the school census captures essential information such as the number of children, gender distribution, available facilities, and classroom needs, all of which inform government decisions on resource allocation.

Bala Dada, Education Officer at UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, explained that the data entry process is digitizing records for over 8,000 public and private schools in the state.

“The advantage of a digital EMIS is clear, easy collection, analysis, accessibility, and use for education planning. The system will even integrate teacher management information to provide a holistic view of the education landscape,” Dada said.

He added that while UNICEF coordinates the EMIS digitization, funding is provided by partners including the Islamic Development Bank and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), under the umbrella of the ROOSC project led by the Kaduna Ministry of Education.

Participant Mrs. Gloria Samuel, a school data officer, expressed enthusiasm about the training.

“It’s been very impactful. I’ve learned to capture and organize data more systematically. The digital tools and skills I’ve gained will make my work much more efficient,” she said.

The initiative is expected to strengthen education governance and accountability in Kaduna State, ensuring evidence-based planning and improved learning outcomes for children.