The Nigerian government says it has earmarked the sum of N138b to strengthen basic education system in Nigeria in the last 3 years. The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu made this known in Abuja during the National Flag off of the 2018 National Personnel Audit.
The Minister said the funds were being accessed by States and the Federal Capital Territory after paying their counterpart contributions.
Launching the 2018 National Personnel Audit NPA, the minister said the exercise will establish a strong foundation for the emergence of a sound Management Information System.
“Within the basic education sector, the personnel audit will also strengthen the current National Educational Management Information System which serves as a key pillar of the nation’s educational planning architecture” the minister said.
He called on all stakeholders in the education sector, including the private sector, civil society organisations, communities and parents to cooperate with the National Planning Committee of the 2018 NPA.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr Hammid Bobboyi hinted that the commission is working with the National Population Commission to determine the number of Out of School Children in Nigeria through the NPA.
Dr Bobboyi stated that the value addition in 2018 NPA is the development of Global Positioning System, GPS by NARSDA for proper identification and easy location of schools .
“This will go a long way to conclude the exercise and produce the result within the shortest time possible” UBEC ES said.
He emphasised that the collected data from the exercise will provide the basis for the determination of key Performance indicators in the basic education sub sector.
According to the UBEC Executive Secretary, “This is a national exercise in data gathering, the result of which will go a long way in strengthening the basic education sub sector. The exercise will aid the realization of the sustainable Development Goals, SDGs”
Dr Bobboyi stressed that the data will be fed into the National Databank for global reporting in line with Nigeria’s Education Management Information System policy.
He emphasised that the NPA exercise has no connection with auditing of neither financial accounts of schools and educational establishment nor verifying of salary payments and other expenditure.
“The first phase begins today, it will cover the Southeast, south and southwest. This is to ensure that the exercise is successfully completed before the full onset of the rainy season in these three geo political zones”
“The second phase of the exercise from 3rd to 26th June,2018, shall cover the north central, northeast and north-western parts of Nigeria,” the UBEC ES added.
In his goodwill message, representative of UNESCO Regional Director, Abdulahi Salifu , said the NPA will give first hand information on quality and quantity of non teaching staff and school enrolment.
“The NPA will give information on where more efforts is needed. It will also show how to address issue of out of school children and where they really are” the UNESCO representative said.
UNICEF representative at the event said much information is needed for planning of education in Nigeria.