Annual School Census; Education Commissioner Calls for Total Cooperation From All Stakeholders.

By Musa Solomon.

Kogi State Commissioner for Education Hon. Wemi Jones has called on all stakeholders in the Education Sector to cooperate with the Ministry to ensure that the 2024/2025 Kogi State Annual School Census Exercise records a huge success.

He made the call on Thursday in Lokoja at the Stakeholders Sensitization Meeting on Annual School Census Exercise.

The Commissioner who emphasized the importance of accurate data to the planning and development of education said the exercise would make the Government plan well for development of education in the State.

He noted that the State Government has made huge investments in Education and to sustain and expand on the foundation that has been laid there was a need to have accurate data.

He appealed to Private Schools to open their gates to the enumerators that would be visiting their schools for the exercise, saying that through the census exercise the State Government would get accurate information that would enable the Government to carry them along in policy formulation and implementation.

The Commissioner warned that any school that refused to cooperate with the Ministry would be severely sanctioned.

He commended the Executive Governor of Kogi State Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo for continuing in the trajectory of giving sufficient attention to Education, adding that the continuing allocation of 30% of the State Budget to education has contributed immensely to the massive development in Education.

In his address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Hon. Abdullahi Abdulmalik called for synergy and cooperation to ensure a seamless exercise, saying that education planning without adequate data is like going to battle without adequate preparation.

In their goodwill messages, the Executive Chairman Kogi State Universal Basic Education Board, Mallam Abdulrazak Muhammed and the Executive Chairman Kogi State Senior Secondary Education Board Dr. Habiba Suleiman promised the cooperation of the Boards to the successful completion of the Exercise.

Speaking on the importance of accurate data to planning, the Director Educational Planning Research and Statistics, Ministry of Education Dr. Animoku Ahman Elizabeth said accurate data is essential for the development and refining education policies that are responsive to the needs of learners and teachers.

She noted that accurate data on school enrollment, teachers numbers and facilities would help to ensure that resources are distributed effectively.