The National Population Commission, Rivers State office has launched its 2020 Nigeria Education Data Survey (NEDS) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education with the support of the World Bank.
The Federal Commissioner, Dr. Ipalibo Harry while speaking at the launch, said that it is the mandate of the commission to provide demographic data for planning purpose, through the conduct of periodic censuses and surveys as contained in the 3rd schedule of the 1999 constitution.
He disclosed that the 2020 Nigeria Education Survey was to fulfill the mandate by responding to the imperative of providing data for national planning, particularly in the education sector.
Dr. Harry further disclosed that to ensure that the 2020 Data Survey meet its lofty objective of providing the much needed data for educational planning, the commission adopted a meticulous and scientific approach at every stage of the survey.
According to him, the federal government with the support from the World Bank is currently implementing the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme in 17 focus states across the six geopolitical zones.
He said the BESDA project which is anchored on a programme for results (PFR) operation, means that evidence of improvement in school intake and literacy level must be seen in the BESDA focus states before such states can be given support in terms of funding to increase in scale.
Speaking further, Dr. Harry Said the 2020 NEDS is a nationally representative sample survey that took place in all states of the federation and the federal capital territory with special focus on the 17 BESDA intervention states, which he said will no doubt increase education data availability and set a trend for planning, monitoring and measuring education indicators in Nigeria in both the BESDA focus and non-focus states.
He reiterated that the conduct of the survey and the data generated would be a veritable tool for revamping the education sector through informed policy decisions and called on all and sundry to ensure that every school-age child in Nigeria is given the opportunity to go to school.
Prof. Godspower Irikana, an associate Dean of postgraduate school at Ignatus Aguru University of Education said the report has exposed the level of education in the country and urged the state government to swing into action so as to ensure that those loopholes are plugged.
He said government at all levels should not play with the report of data because it is the key in the life of every development. “With data you will plan, formulate policies to meet the challenges of the time,” he said.
The chairman of BESDA, Evang. Ogbugo Emmanuel in response, his promised to convey the report to the executive chairman of Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board and the commissioner for a education for follow up.
