By Awwal Umar Kontagora In a move aimed at strengthening education planning and improving demographic accuracy, the Chairman of the Nationa...
By Awwal Umar Kontagora
In a move aimed at strengthening education planning and improving demographic accuracy, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Aminu Yusuf, has proposed the compulsory presentation of birth certificates or certified birth attestations as a prerequisite for admission into all levels of education across the country.
Dr. Yusuf made the proposal during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja. He described the initiative as a strategic reform designed to enhance data integrity, improve education planning, and ensure that every Nigerian child is properly documented within the national identity system.
According to him, credible demographic data remains the backbone of effective policy formulation, particularly in a sector as critical as education. He explained that reliable birth registration records would support more accurate school siting, teacher deployment, enrolment projections, and equitable allocation of resources.
“Without accurate data on the age and number of children entering the school system, planning becomes speculative,” Dr. Yusuf said, stressing that weak birth documentation has contributed to challenges such as age falsification, improper class placement, and distorted academic records.
He recalled the 2019/2020 Nigeria Education Data Survey jointly conducted by the NPC and the Federal Ministry of Education, which uncovered enrolment disparities and significant age-grade distortions linked to poor birth registration coverage in parts of the country. The findings, he noted, underscored the need for closer integration between population data systems and educational institutions.
To operationalise the proposal, the NPC chairman recommended the establishment of a Joint Technical Working Group between the commission and the Ministry of Education. The body, he explained, would harmonise verification processes, align demographic datasets, and develop a coordinated nationwide implementation framework. He added that the commission has expanded its digital birth registration platforms to enhance accessibility and simplify compliance for families.
Responding, Dr. Alausa described the proposal as timely, particularly as the ministry prepares for its annual school census exercise. He expressed optimism that the policy would address longstanding data inconsistencies affecting education planning and performance tracking.
The minister approved the formation of a Joint Technical Committee tasked with developing comprehensive recommendations for presentation to the National Council on Education — the highest policy-making body in the sector — for deliberation and possible adoption.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, welcomed the initiative and emphasised the importance of institutional collaboration in strengthening governance outcomes. She expressed confidence that deeper synergy between the NPC and the education ministry would enhance system-wide efficiency and accountability.
Dr. Yusuf was accompanied on the visit by NPC federal commissioners, the director-general of the commission, and other senior officials, underscoring the institutional significance of the proposal.
If adopted, the policy could mark a major step toward bridging gaps between Nigeria’s population management framework and its educational infrastructure. Beyond addressing age falsification and data distortion, stakeholders say the reform could foster a more transparent and strategically planned education system built on verified identities and reliable statistics.
As discussions move to the National Council on Education, attention is expected to shift to implementation modalities, public awareness campaigns, and accessibility measures to ensure compliance without excluding vulnerable children from the school system.
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