By John Kefas Abuja
The Federal Government on Thursday raised concerns over the poor impact of donor-funded education interventions in parts of Nigeria, revealing that regions that received nearly 80 per cent of development partners’ investments in the sector over the past decade still rank lowest in literacy and numeracy nationwide.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in Abuja during a stakeholders’ workshop on the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure (NEDI), warning that the trend exposes serious gaps in the effectiveness and sustainability of education interventions.
Although the minister did not directly name the affected regions, data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicate that the North-West and North-East geopolitical zones continue to record the country’s weakest literacy rates.
Alausa said the situation underscores the urgent need for a harmonised and technology-driven education data system capable of guiding government policies, tracking outcomes, and ensuring better deployment of resources.
“As we look at our data, the total amount of development bank financing investment and development partners’ investment — about 80 per cent of those investments in the last 10 years — has gone to two geopolitical zones in the country.
And those two zones have the lowest percentage of numeracy and literacy rates in the country,” he said.
The minister explained that the NEDI initiative was introduced to transform education data management through improved collection, storage, analysis, and dissemination of information across the sector.
According to him, the platform will provide policymakers and stakeholders with credible and integrated statistics needed to monitor progress, identify gaps, and promote equitable allocation of educational investments nationwide.
Alausa said the Federal Government remains committed to repositioning the education sector through technology-driven reforms and stronger institutional coordination.
He added that credible data systems would help authorities identify underserved communities, monitor school performance, and direct resources more efficiently to areas facing the greatest educational challenges.
The minister also urged development partners, state governments, and other stakeholders to align interventions with national priorities and evidence-based strategies capable of delivering measurable improvements in learning outcomes.
He stressed that accountability and collaboration remain critical to ensuring that investments translate into tangible progress in the education sector.
Also speaking, Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, described the NEDI initiative as a strategic effort aimed at strengthening educational planning, coordination, and service delivery through reliable data systems.
She said education remains central to national development, family wellbeing, and social advancement.
Sulaiman-Ibrahim commended the Federal Ministry of Education for convening the workshop, noting that the initiative reflects government’s commitment to building an inclusive and evidence-based education system.
According to her, reliable education data would enhance interventions in child protection, girls’ education, social inclusion, family development, and support for vulnerable groups.
She noted that integrated data systems would help government agencies and development partners identify gaps, improve coordination, and ensure that vulnerable children are not excluded from access to education.
Earlier, NEDI Coordinator, Abubakar Isah, said the workshop was organised to deepen stakeholders’ understanding of the framework and its role in transforming education data management in Nigeria.
He explained that the initiative aims to establish a unified, technology-driven platform capable of eliminating inconsistencies in education data reporting while providing reliable statistics for planning and policy formulation.
Isah added that the success of the initiative would depend on collaboration among federal and state institutions, development agencies, school administrators, and other stakeholders in the education sector.
He said improved coordination and harmonised data systems would strengthen Nigeria’s ability to track school enrolment, teacher deployment, infrastructure deficits, and learning outcomes across the country.
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