Benue Govt Flags Off 2024/2025 Annual School Census
Group photograph during the flag off ceremony of a 2- day training workshop for school census held Thursday at Govt Model secondary school, Makurdi
The Benue State Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management has flagged off Annual School Census (ASC) 2024/2025 after a two-day training workshop aimed at enhancing data collection across all schools in the state’s 23 local government areas.
Declaring the exercise open, the Commissioner of Education and Knowledge Management, Rev. Dr. Frederick Ikyaan, represented by the Director of Administration and Supply of the Ministry, Mr. Nic Joko, emphasized the state government’s commitment to educational development.
He assured stakeholders that the ministry is fully prepared to facilitate a seamless school census, making data collection more efficient. He urged area education officers to take the exercise seriously and seek guidance from consultants whenever challenges arise.
The Commissioner also stressed that the school census would help curb the proliferation of unapproved schools, commonly known as “miracle centers,” by identifying and eliminating their illegal activities.
Speaking at the event, the State Focal Person for the Census, Mr. Iormough Utuku, underscored the importance of accurate school data in addressing infrastructure deficits and enabling the government to plan effectively for the education sector.
In his address, Engr. Terpase Kundam, the consultant for the program, described the transition to an online school census as a game-changer. He highlighted the efficiency of technology-driven enumeration, making school data more accessible and manageable. He reiterated that education remains the best investment, and the current administration is committed to ensuring significant progress in the sector.
According to Engr. Kundam, the new online school management system will provide a centralized portal where parents can access school-related services, including fee payments and result checking. The portal will categorize data at the local government, zonal, and state levels while assuring stakeholders that the project would be completed within three months.
The Director of Knowledge Management in the Ministry, Mr. Sunday Ocheje, on his part commended the consultant for his detailed presentation on data collection. He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to ensuring accurate school census enumeration, noting that the initiative would provide precise figures on the number of schools in the state and their state.
In a closing remark, the Director of Tertiary Education, Mr. Emmanuel Ochee, urged participants to take the exercise seriously and ensure data accuracy, emphasizing that in today’s digital era, reliable data is crucial for effective planning and policy implementation.
Participants at the workshop includes: Area Education Officers (AEOs) from each local government in the state. Speaking on their behalf, Mr. Isaac Utile from Gwer-West LG said the training has equipped them properly and pledged their commitment to the success of the exercise.
