The Federal Ministry of Education has formalised a strategic partnership with the National Population Commission (NPC) to integrate birth registration and demographic data into Nigeria’s school enrolment and education planning systems.
The development was disclosed in a statement released on Tuesday via X by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade.
Speaking on the initiative, the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, stressed that credible population data remains critical to effective education planning across the country.
According to him, accurate demographic information will support rational school siting, balanced teacher deployment, realistic enrolment projections, and equitable distribution of resources.
He further explained that incorporating birth registration into school admission processes would encourage proper age placement of pupils and strengthen
the integrity of academic records nationwide.Alausa, however, noted that enforcement measures would only follow the expansion of nationwide access to birth registration services to prevent the creation of unintended barriers for families.
In his remarks, NPC Chairman, Aminu Yusuf, reaffirmed the commission’s constitutional mandate to maintain 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 aimed at improving efficiency and accessibility.
The statement added that both institutions have agreed to establish a Joint Technical Working Group to harmonise verification procedures and ensure interoperability between their respective databases.
The partnership, according to the ministry, underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening evidence-based education reforms and promoting inclusive national development.
