FG to partner stakeholders on combating data challenges – Minister

By Maryam Abeeb

The Minister of State for Education, Rt. Hon Goodluck Opiah has disclosed that the federal government through the ministry of education is set to collaborating with relevant stakeholders in dealing with data challenges in Nigeria.
The Minister made this disclosure during his remark at the national dialogue on education issues in Nigeria, held in Abuja.
He explained that credible, timely and reliable data generation is required for qualitative planning and decision making.
According to him, there is need to embrace the use of data in guiding an our decisions and policies.
He added that if the nation can successfully abridge the data gaps in Nigeria, it would have provided the basic fundamentals for resolving some many issues.
“The choice of the theme for this National Dialogue, Meeting The Data Challenge In Education; Achieving Gender Equality In And Through Education And Leaving No One Behind give me great comfort that this initiative is going to achieve its set objectives.
“ As a continent, we need to embrace the use of data in guiding an our decisions. It is often said that Data is to planning what oxygen is to living. If we can successfully abridge the data gaps in Nigeria, we would have provided the basic fundamentals for resolving some many issues.
“Credible, timely and reliable data generation is required for qualitative planning and decision making. Strategies to deal with this issue are on and the Ministry is collaborating with relevant stakeholders in dealing with data challenges in Nigeria,” he stated.
The minister assured that governments , at all levels and with the collaboration of stakeholders, will continue to pursue investments to help in achieving positive outcomes for the issues that the dialogue was convened for.
He stated that Nigeria remains focused on the implementation of a comprehensive and holistic programme of action including creating an enabling policy environment for data generation, gender equality and inclusive education.
Opiah stressed that commitment to this have been firmly entrenched in the National Development Plan (2021-2025) and the Ministerial Strategic Plan for Education.
He added that in 2022, the Federal Ministry of Education took steps further by developing a National Policy on Gender in Education that promotes equitable access to quality and inclusive education for all girls.
Further speaking, an education policy analyst of International Institutes of education planning, IIEP UNESCO, Polycarp Otieno, during his virtual presentation said that requirements of new data is t beyond the classical education sector and traditional disaggregation.
He called for deepening inclusion and improving quality more financial resources.