By Babatunde Ayedoju
The Ondo State Government has directed public and private school administrators yet to upload the data of their pupils and students on the Federal Ministry of Education portal to do so on or before July 14 or face sanctions.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, gave the directive during a press briefing in his office on Thursday.
Ajibefun lamented the low level of compliance with the Federal Government’s directive, revealing that while the minimum compliance rate required from each state is 95 per cent, Ondo State has achieved only 25 per cent, prompting the extension of the deadline from June 30 to July 14.
He disclosed that most of the defaulting schools are privately owned.
The commissioner said the data, including enrolment figures, available facilities and other vital information, are required by government and international agencies for planning purposes.
He stressed that both the Federal and Ondo State governments require the information for planning and security, warning that principals of defaulting public schools would face sanctions, while private schools that fail to comply risk losing their operating licences.
The data will also help us determine the number of out-of-school children. We will be able to monitor developments in our education system and compare data across different years to observe trends.
“We will know whether enrolment is increasing or decreasing. We will know what happens to pupils after they complete primary school—whether they proceed to secondary school or drop out.
“We will know what happens to students after junior secondary school, whether they advance to senior secondary school, drop out, or move to technical colleges,” he said.
Ajibefun said officers in public and private schools across the state’s 18 local government areas had been trained on the enrolment process, adding that the exercise is free.
He explained that schools only need to access the portal using the codes already provided and upload the required data.
The commissioner further stated that the uploaded data and the Learners Identification Number would qualify students to benefit from HOPE-EDU, a World Bank-supported Federal Government programme covering education, health and governance.
“If we do not have these data, we will not be able to benefit from World Bank assistance.
“The World Bank is providing over $500 million to Nigeria. Only states that meet the required standards in terms of information on their school systems, health systems and governance will be able to access these funds,” he said.
Ajibefun noted that accessing the funding would enable government to channel more resources to other critical sectors, including infrastructure and rural development.
He urged schools to ensure compliance, stressing that Ondo State must not be left behind as several states had already met the requirement.
Also speaking, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry, Mr Francis Omooluwa, warned that from 2027, students without a Learners Identification Number may be unable to pursue further education and could also miss other benefits attached to the platform.