The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC), Prof. Musa Maitafsir, has emphasized the importance of generating homegrown data to guide Nigeria’s education sector, instead of depending on externally sourced statistics.

Prof. Maitafsir stated this on Tuesday in Abuja at a one-day stakeholders meeting with Directors of State Agencies for Education (SAME) on ‘Enhancing strategic collaboration between same and NMEC for the eradication of illiteracy, advancement of vocational and skills-acquisition education and improved data credibility in the Non-formal Education sub-sector’.

The Executive Secretary expressed strong reservations about the reliance on data from international organisations like the World Bank and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), noting that such reports often present Nigeria in an unfavourable light.

He argued that these external assessments do not always capture the full realities and progress within the country’s education sector.

He maintained that it is time for Nigeria to take ownership of its data narrative by prioritising credible, locally generated statistics. According to him, institutions within the country possess the capacity and contextual understanding needed to produce more accurate and balanced data that reflects on-the-ground realities.

He advocated for greater reliance on data produced by key national bodies like the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). He stressed that strengthening these institutions and promoting their outputs as primary reference points would not only enhance policy formulation but also project a more authentic image of Nigeria’s educational development.

Maitafsir further revealed that the Commission is set to commence the independent generation of its own data, as part of efforts to strengthen evidence-based planning and decision-making on mass literacy, adult and non-formal education.
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According to him, this move is aimed at reducing dependence on externally sourced statistics and ensuring that data used for policy formulation accurately reflects local realities

He noted that by building a robust internal data system, the Commission would be better positioned to track progress, identify gaps, and design more targeted interventions within the education sector.

He stated that Directors of state education agencies would play a crucial and central role in the process of generating the required data, given their proximity to grassroots realities and direct oversight of implementation at the state level.

He emphasised that their active participation and commitment would be key to ensuring that the data collected is comprehensive, timely, and reflective of actual conditions across the country.

The NMEC boss, however, cautioned participants against the falsification of data, stressing that accuracy and integrity must remain the guiding principles of the entire exercise. He stressed that unreliable or distorted data could undermine policy decisions, misguide resource allocation, and ultimately hinder progress in the education sector.

In their separate presentations, the Acting Director, Network Department, Dr. Babajide Williams, and the Director, Literacy Department, Dr. John Edeh, urged participants to embrace professionalism, accuracy, and consistency in data collection and reporting processes, stressing that reliable data remains the backbone of effective policy formulation and implementation.

They emphasised the need for participants to adopt modern data management tools and methodologies that would enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure uniformity across states. According to them, building technical capacity at all levels is essential to achieving a credible and functional data system for the education sector.