The Chairman of the National Population Commission, NPC, Dr. Aminu Yusuf, has advocated mandatory presentation of birth certificates or certified attestations of birth, issued by the Commission, as a prerequisite for admission into all levels of education in Nigeria.

Dr. Yusuf, leading a delegation of the Commission on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, stated that the proposal is designed to strengthen educational planning, enhance data accuracy, and ensure that every Nigerian child is properly documented within the national identity framework.

He explained that credible population data is vital to effective educational reforms, guiding decisions on school siting, teacher deployment, enrolment projections, and equitable resource distribution.

Dependable demographic evidence, he said, is the bedrock of sustainable educational planning in a nation with a rapidly growing youthful population.

Dr. Yusuf reminded the Minister that the NPC is constitutionally mandated to conduct periodic population and housing censuses, maintain the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics, CRVS, system, and provide reliable demographic data for national policy and development.

“Birth registration establishes a verified age foundation indispensable to an orderly education system,” he emphasized. “It ensures appropriate class placement, strengthens examination credibility, curbs age falsification, and protects the integrity of academic records,” Yusuf declared.

To facilitate implementation of the proposed reform, Dr. Yusuf advocated the establishment of a Joint Technical Working Group between the NPC and the Ministry of Education. The group, he said, would harmonize verification procedures, integrate demographic datasets, and develop standard operational guidelines for educational institutions nationwide.

“When education administration is anchored on verified identity and credible demographic data, planning becomes more precise, resource allocation more efficient, and governance more transparent,” Dr. Yusuf concluded.

He commended Dr. Alausa for his leadership and reform efforts geared toward promoting inclusion, accountability, and sustainability in Nigeria’s education sector, reaffirming the Commission’s readiness to partner closely with the Ministry “in the service of our nation.”

The Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, lauded the NPC’s proposal, describing it as “timely,” especially as the Ministry conducts its annual school census.

He commended Dr. Yusuf for his leadership and performance since assuming office, emphasizing the need for stronger collaboration between the NPC, the Ministry of Education, and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on biometric data integration.

Dr. Alausa approved the establishment of the Joint Technical Committee and outlined its terms of reference, urging members to “do thorough work” and develop actionable recommendations for presentation to the National Council on Education (NCE) for policy adoption and immediate implementation.

The Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, expressed confidence that the partnership would be mutually beneficial.

“The Ministry needs the NPC as much as the NPC needs the Ministry,” she remarked, commending Dr. Alausa for providing clear direction and leadership in strengthening institutional collaboration.