Educational Management Information System in Nigeria: Challenges and the Way Forward

Abstract

Educational Management Information System (EMIS) is an education database
that aims at ensuring timely, accurate and appropriate education data and
information for decision making. It is a global concept for educational
management that encompasses the application of modern information and
communication technology in collection, collation, storage and analysis of
education data. The government has a clear understanding of what role EMIS
plays in future planning activities, both at the federal and state levels. Despite
the good intention of government, it is difficult to establish accurate quantitative
targets for future plans due to lack of adequate base-line information. This paper
discussed the challenges of Educational Management Information System (EMIS)
in Nigeria and the way forward. It was found out these challenges include
inadequate funding, inability to integrate data and data systems, inadequate
development of skills in data use at all levels, inability to capture expenditure
and budget data in EMIS and inability to develop student-record based EMIS.
Therefore, it was recommended that adequate funding should be provided for
EMIS development, data should be integrated into the data system, skills in data
use should be developed at all levels, budget data and capturing of expenditure
should be encouraged, and finally, student-record based for EMIS should be
developed.