Former Aviation Minister Osita Chidoka has endorsed the education reforms being driven by Minister of Education Tunji Alausa, describing the newly launched National Education Data Infrastructure as one of Nigeria’s most important national projects.
Chidoka spoke after attending the National Stakeholders Meeting on the National Education Data Infrastructure, where he praised the use of real-time education data to improve planning, accountability and policy decisions.
The former minister said education reforms should take priority over infrastructure projects because children who lose access to schooling may never recover those opportunities.
“Roads can wait. Buildings can wait. Airports can wait. Education cannot,” Chidoka said.
He warned that millions of out-of-school children continue to suffer from delayed reforms, stressing that policy failures in education carry long-term consequences.
Chidoka commended the Nigerian Education Management Information System for providing detailed nationwide data on enrolment, infrastructure and teacher-student ratios, describing the platform as “a national treasure.”
According to him, the data revealed troubling gaps in the education system, particularly the sharp drop between primary school enrolment and junior secondary school admissions.
“Where did they go between Primary Six and JSS One?” he asked, while calling for urgent action to address the widening gap.
He also raised concerns over the growing number of repeat JAMB candidates, saying the figures exposed severe admission bottlenecks in tertiary institutions.
Chidoka admitted that the new data-driven approach helped him better understand the rationale behind Alausa’s reforms aimed at easing admission pressure.
He further disclosed that the Nigeria Research and Education Network would support the reforms by expanding digital connectivity across tertiary institutions and secondary schools.
The former minister urged other sectors of government to adopt evidence-based governance, saying reliable data has the power to transform policymaking and national development.
