Lagos State to Begin Statewide Enumeration of Private Schools for Better Data and Planning

The Lagos State Office of Education Quality Assurance (OEQA), under the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, has announced the commencement of a statewide enumeration of private schools across the state.

The initiative, unveiled on September 16, 2025, by OEQA’s Coordinating Director, Mr. Remi Abdul, with approval from the Honourable Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, seeks to establish a comprehensive database of all private schools operating in Lagos.

According to Abdul, the enumeration is “not merely a counting exercise, but a strategic initiative” to provide accurate, up-to-date information that will guide policy formulation, resource allocation, and sector-wide planning.

The data to be collected will cover:

• School identity (name, location, operational status)
• Infrastructure (classrooms, facilities)
• Human resources (teaching and non-teaching staff)
• Student demographics (enrolment by class, age, and gender)

The Coordinating Director emphasised that the exercise would:

1. Generate accurate statistics for planning.
2. Set baseline indicators for quality evaluation.
3. Strengthen collaboration between government, private schools, NGOs, and development partners.
4. Provide credible data to global agencies like UNICEF, UNESCO, and the National Bureau of Statistics.

Private schools are expected to designate Education Management Information System (EMIS) Officers to work with OEQA field teams. Abdul assured proprietors that the process will be non-disruptive, confidential, and simplified, designed to support private providers rather than burden them.

He highlighted benefits for participating schools, including:

• Official recognition in Lagos State’s education database.
• Access to government support programmes and training.
• Opportunities for collaboration and partnerships.
• Access to aggregated data for better planning and school development.

The database will be updated quarterly to reflect changes in population and performance outcomes. Schools can register via the official link: https://forms.gle/ib8jHZ3akqpJMyN86 or contact OEQA at prsoeqa@gmail.com.

Abdul called for full cooperation, stressing that collective participation will strengthen Lagos’ private education sector and lay the groundwork for a world-class school system.

The event was attended by top OEQA officials including Mr. Hakeem Kehinde Idowu (Director of Planning), Mrs. Evelyn Pelemo (Director of Research), and Mr. Johnson Adeyemi (Director of Statistics), alongside representatives of private school associations such as the Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria, Lagos Baptist Schools, Muslim Schools Proprietors Association of Nigeria, and others.