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The National Orientation Agency has said its role in the federal government’s digital Learner Identification Number policy is to inform Nigerians, not to start or run the programme.
According to a statement seen by TheCable, NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu made this known on Thursday while responding to concerns raised by the National Association of Nigerian Students.
Speaking through Paul Odenyi, the agency’s Deputy Director of Communication and Media, Issa-Onilu said NOA did not design the LIN and is not responsible for implementing it.
The reaction followed NANS’ rejection of the LIN. The students described the policy as unnecessary and warned that it might duplicate the National Identification Number. They also questioned NOA’s involvement, saying the initiative falls outside the agency’s duties.
Despite the criticism, the federal government began nationwide rollout of the LIN in April. Government records show that more than 1.9 million students who registered for the 2026 WAEC and NECO examinations have already been given the digital ID.
The Federal Ministry of Education explained that the goal of the policy is to ensure every Nigerian child can access education by assigning each learner a permanent and traceable academic number.
Issa-Onilu said NOA’s mandate is clear and guided by law.
“Our responsibility is to communicate government policies, programmes and activities to citizens in simple and accurate language,” he said. “We work with Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure that information gets to the people on time.”
He added that the agency’s duty to sensitise the public covers all government policies, whether or not NOA initiated them.
The DG advised NANS to direct any questions or complaints about how the LIN works to the government body in charge of its implementation.
The digital learner ID forms part of the federal government’s wider plan to track and support students from primary through secondary school and make education more accessible for all.