The 2015 edition of the field work for the Nigeria Education Data Survey (NEDS) and third in the series has commenced in Rivers State, powered by the National Population Commission in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The exercise which holds one’s in every five years began on 11th May and would terminate on August 14th, 2015 is in furtherance of the commission’s constitutional mandate of providing relevant, dependable and accurate demographic Data for policy makers on effective national planning purposes.
Federal Commissioner incharge of Rivers State on the commission, Rev. (Dr.) Wokoma Donalds Charles Wokoma made the disclosure at the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt during a press briefing in commemoration of the children’s day celebration, yesterday.
Wokoma further told newsmen that the 2015 Nigeria Education Data Survey is a follow up to the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) exercise where households with children from 4 to 6 years old, were randomly selected throughout the states in Nigeria as only women aged 15-49 years and men aged 15-59 years were interviewed.
According to Wokoma eligible households expected to cover during the exercise are those ones affected in the 2013 NDHS sample, noted that in 2013 about 38,522 households were successfully interviewed while the 2015 series is hopeful of interviewing not less than 30,000 eligible households with children ages 4-16 years old aimed at collecting data on more than 45,000 children.
The Federal Commissioner incharge of Rivers State, Dr. Wokoma stressed that some of the likely questions during the exercise would focus on reasons for not attending school, dropping out of school, the frequency of pupil absenteeism and missing school as well as including cost of schooling.
The Commissioner posits that the survey is meant to provide policy makers with accurate and timely Data to formulate courses of action designed to increase enrollment attendance and learning and as well achieve Nigeria’s Universal Basic Education Commission and Education for All (EFA) goals for the children of school age. Further objectives of the exercise is the provision of substantial amount of the household-based education Data needed in Nigeria and informed basic programming that would improve ;levels of student enrollment, attendance and facilitate equitable access to quality schooling for all Nigerian children.
However, while thanking the development partners (USAID) for consistent support of NEDS in Nigeria, and declaring open the 2015 field work for the NEDS in Rivers State, the federal commissioner has called on Rivers people to cooperate with the field workers to ensure success of the programme, saying the workers are genuine staff of the NPC.
On whether the previous exercise conducted by the commissioner witnessed any improvement or impacted positively in the state where infrastructure other than capacity building and training seemingly takes over the peoples conscience, the federal commissioner reasoned that the commission’s duty settles around collection of demographic datas as well as delivery same to the appropriate national authority rather than its intervention or implementation aspects.
To buttressed his claims, Dr. Wokoma maintained that the 2015 Survey would justify the question whether there was an impact or not but posited that the media has the result to the public.
Those at the briefing among others include the state director, Mr. Jumobaraye Daka and Chief Ipalibo George, head of Public Affairs Department of the commission. ###
James Mgboineme
