KIX Africa 19 hub hosts Dialogue on Strengthening EMIS across African Education Ministries
KIX Africa 19 Knowledge Cafe

The African Union Commission, through its Pan African Institute for Education for Development (AU-IPED), under the KIX Africa 19 Hub, convened the 2nd KIX Knowledge Café on Education Data Systems on 22 July 2025. Held virtually, the event brought together policymakers, EMIS leads, and technical experts from more than 15 African countries.

The event focused on the development of responsive national EMIS policies as a cornerstone for effective education planning and service delivery. It forms part of AU-IPED’s leadership of the “Meeting the Data Challenge” thematic area under the KIX Africa 19 Hub.

Opening the session, Mr. Adoumtar Noubatour, Head of AU-IPED, emphasized the African Union’s commitment to strengthening EMIS in line with the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA 26–35) and Agenda 2063. 

“Reliable, timely, and actionable data is at the heart of effective education policy. As the institution mandated to lead the continental education data agenda, AU-IPED remains committed to supporting Member States in building responsive, sustainable EMIS frameworks,” Mr. Adoumtar Noubatour, Head of AU-IPED noted.

The session featured national EMIS leads and directors from the Ministries of Education in South Sudan, Nigeria, Mozambique, and The Gambia - along with a spotlight from KIX grantee Zizi Afrique, who highlighted lessons from country-led efforts to enhance EMIS. Presenters explored a range of practical experiences in policy formulation, digital transformation, and leveraging open-source tools to improve data quality, accessibility, and use.

Key issues included: 
  • Limited availability of qualified EMIS personnel.
  • Infrastructure and connectivity gaps in remote regions.
  • Insufficient data use for policy decisions.
  • Challenges in achieving system interoperability.
  • Need for sustainable financing models to implement and maintain robust EMIS frameworks.
Recommendations included:
  • Recruiting and training EMIS personnel at school, local government, and national levels
  • Strengthening digital infrastructure through devices, solar power, and internet connectivity
  • Piloting platforms such as the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) and the School Open-source Feedback and Improvement App (SOFIA) to improve data visualization and access. These tools were notably discussed by Mozambique and The Gambia, which have adapted or piloted them to support real-time school-level data collection and analysis.
  • Developing and updating EMIS policies to improve coordination and data quality
  • Advancing cross-country collaboration for peer learning and technical exchange

The Knowledge Café, a spotlight activity of the KIX Africa 19 Hub, continues to serve as a vital platform for African education stakeholders to exchange knowledge, share lessons, and collectively advance the continent’s education data systems.