The Jigawa State Government has approved the sum of N283.2 million for the procurement of 1,500 Android tablets to strengthen digital data collection and management across basic education schools in the state.

The approval was disclosed by the State Commissioner for Information, Youths, Sports and Culture, Sagir Musa, while briefing journalists on the outcome of the State Executive Council meeting held on Tuesday at the Government House, Dutse, the Jigawa State capital.

Musa said, “The council approved the award of a contract worth N283,235,625 million for the procurement and supply of the 1,500 Android tablets as part of efforts to expand the Basic Education Management Information System across the state.”

According to the commissioner, the initiative is designed to improve the way education data is captured, managed and utilised, particularly at the basic education level.

He said “the tablets would support the statewide scale-up of data collection through the BEMIS platform.

“The deployment of the tablets will facilitate effective implementation of the Basic Education Management Information System across the state, enabling timely, accurate and reliable data capture from schools,” Musa added.

He further explained that access to dependable education data would enable the government to make better-informed decisions on planning, policy formulation and resource allocation.

“Reliable data is critical to evidence-based planning, monitoring and decision-making in the education sector,” the commissioner stated.

Musa said the digital system would also strengthen the government’s ability to monitor important education indicators, including school enrolment, infrastructure, teacher deployment and overall school performance.

He noted that the availability of real-time information would allow education administrators and other relevant stakeholders to identify challenges more quickly and take appropriate action to improve the quality of basic education across the state.

The commissioner described the procurement as a strategic investment in education governance, saying, “the government was determined to use technology to promote transparency, accountability and efficiency in the delivery of education services.”

According to Musa, “the expansion of BEMIS is also in line with the state government’s broader education reform agenda, which seeks to introduce innovative and technology-driven approaches to improve the education system.”

The Commissioner stressed that the initiative would provide education authorities with comprehensive and reliable information needed to properly assess the needs of schools and determine where resources and interventions should be directed.

He maintained that “the government’s commitment to digitalising education data management was aimed at strengthening the system and creating better conditions for improved learning outcomes.

“We remain committed to innovative solutions that will strengthen the education system and ensure that every child has access to quality basic education supported by reliable and comprehensive data,” he said.

However, the commissioner assured that the Jigawa State government would continue to pursue programmes capable of improving education governance and service delivery.

Stressing further, the information commissioner emphasised that “the deployment of the tablets and expansion of BEMIS would provide a stronger data foundation for the development of basic education in Jigawa State.”