FG strengthens education data system with mandatory birth registration policy

The Federal Government has strengthened Nigeria’s education data management system with a new policy mandating birth registration as part of the school admission process nationwide.

The move follows a strategic partnership between the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Population Commission (NPC) aimed at integrating birth registration and demographic intelligence into the country’s school enrollment and education planning framework.

In a statement on Tuesday signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the ministry, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, Minister of Education, said credible population data remains critical for effective education planning and sustainable national development.

According to the minister, accurate birth registration data will support rational school siting, balanced teacher deployment, reliable enrollment projections, and equitable distribution of learning resources across states and local governments.

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He explained that integrating birth registration into school admissions would promote proper age placement of pupils, enhance the integrity of academic records, and curb discrepancies in enrollment statistics.

While underscoring the importance of the policy, the minister assured that enforcement would only follow the expansion of access to registration services nationwide to ensure that families are not unintentionally excluded from education opportunities.

According to the statement, The Minister of State for Education also highlighted the role of digital integration in improving transparency within the education system.

She noted that linking registration databases with school records would help track enrollment patterns more effectively and enable early identification of out-of-school children and dropouts.

Responding, Aminu Yusuf, Chairman of the NPC, reaffirmed the commission’s constitutional mandate to manage Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.

He disclosed that over 4,000 registration centres are currently operational across the country, with ongoing digital upgrades designed to enhance efficiency, accessibility, and real-time verification.

1. Both institutions agreed to establish a Joint Technical Working Group to harmonise verification procedures and ensure interoperability between their respective databases.