In January 2024, UNICEF Nigeria partnered with the University of Oslo (UiO), HISP Nigeria and HISP Uganda to enhance education data management by implementing a DHIS2-based system initially across 11 Nigerian states: Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Adamawa, Yobe, Kaduna and Borno. The project began with collaborative meetings among stakeholders to understand project requirements. HISP Nigeria and HISP Uganda led the customization of the system prototype to meet the education sector’s unique needs. After customization, two years of legacy data was successfully imported into the system. Rigorous end user testing was carried out by UNICEF and the Nigeria state teams, with feedback incorporated to fine-tune the system for optimal performance.
The concept of building local capacity has been at the heart of principles driving DHIS2 adoption. Establishing a strong DHIS2 core team, responsible for the day-to-day maintenance and further development of the system, is perhaps the most important element of a DHIS2 implementation. This team is a critical component in the long term sustainability of the system and in ensuring local ownership. The core team needs to be established at the beginning of the implementation, and needs to keep up-to-date with new components of DHIS2, releases and changes. Therefore as a key first step UNICEF Nigeria organized a Training of Trainers (TOT) in October 2024 for representatives from the 11 states. In addition, due to a high level of interest, three states of Adamawa, Yobe, and Kaduna were included in the training, with a total number of 11 states trained. The training was held at Hotel Seventeen in Kaduna state and was conducted in two groups over a period of two weeks to ensure effective learning and engagement: Five states in the first week and six states in the second week.
UNICEF Nigeria encouraged the state team to actively engage with the training and provide constructive feedback, emphasizing that all inputs would be documented, reviewed for prioritization and implemented promptly. Although UNICEF acknowledged existing functional systems already in place, they highlighted that the introduction of DHIS2 offers a unique opportunity for states to tailor the system to meet their specific needs.
Participants shared a series of expectations for the ToT, which included that the system should support stakeholders to move from complex to simple; expecting a migration from the use of manual tools to digital tools. They shared their hopes for the system catering for timely data collection, supporting data consistency and validation and a simplification of the data analysis process, and in turn supporting decision-making.
Objectives
The overall objective was to build the capacity of a core team of system administrators and national trainers in the management and use of the DHIS2-based Education Management Information System. More specifically, the ToT was to:
- Introduce DHIS2 for Education and highlight areas where it could fill gaps
- Impart technical knowledge on the DHIS2 for Education instance ensuring that all participants can use and begin to manage key parts of the system, such as user accounts.
- Solicit feedback during the training sessions to inform additional system improvements and enhance end-user experiences
Achievements in the training
The DHIS2 for Education ToT training saw several key achievements as listed below:
- Capacity building: A team of over 55 education sector staff from 11 states were trained and readied to conduct and/or support LGEA and school-level administrator cascade trainings. This team will also be able to support DHIS2 for Education implementation in the country. Moreover, the participants were also able to test and give feedback on future system changes. This will achieve a sustainable model for ongoing capacity building and system maintenance within the education sector.
- Collaborative and peer learning: Participants were drawn from 11 different states and UNICEF state and national offices. This fostered a collaborative learning and problem-solving environment through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing during the training and discussions sessions.
Feedback Integration: Participant feedback where feasible was successfully incorporated into the system during the training. Moreover, this facilitated the improvement of the training documentation to reflect the changes in real-time. This also allowed for continuous improvement of the system and system documentation. Further feedback is currently being incorporated post-training.
Conclusion
The training served as a starting point in equipping Nigeria’s states with the knowledge and technical expertise necessary for effective long-term system sustainability and implementation of DHIS2 for Education. The training sessions were designed to address the specific needs of Nigeria’s EMIS, providing participants with the skills to utilize, support, and troubleshoot the DHIS2 platform, customized to the country’s unique educational context.
These training efforts emphasized fostering system ownership among participants, a key factor in ensuring the sustainability of the DHIS2 for Education platform. By building local capacity, the training reduced reliance on external support and empowered stakeholders to manage the system independently, ensuring its continued relevance and functionality.
By the conclusion of the program, most participants demonstrated a strong grasp of the platform’s core features. They could access and navigate the system, enter and analyze critical education data, and generate insightful reports tailored to Nigeria’s education sector needs. This training also marked a pivotal moment for enhancing the education sector’s capacity for data-driven decision-making. With a well-trained cadre of professionals, Nigeria is better positioned to leverage the DHIS2 platform for monitoring, planning, and improving educational outcomes nationwide.
