By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government has introduced the National Learner Identification Number (LIN), a digital system designed to assign every student in Nigeria a permanent and traceable academic identity.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) disclosed this on its official X handle, @NOA_Nigeria, describing it as a policy update and directing the public to the agency’s website, noa.gov.ng/news, for further details.
The initiative, earlier announced by the Federal Ministry of Education, is designed to support learning continuity, strengthen education planning and enable timely intervention across all levels, while integrating with the Digitised National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), which maintains a national register of schools.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, had explained that the LIN would provide each learner with a unique and permanent education identity, enabling seamless tracking of academic progression from one level to another, regardless of school transfers.
He described the initiative as a transformational milestone aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, noting its focus on human capital development, improved service delivery and technology-driven reforms in the education sector.
“This initiative marks a turning point in our education system. By assigning every learner a unique number, we are building a structure that supports each child’s journey from classroom to career, while ensuring that no one is left behind,” he said.
According to the ministry, over 1.9 million candidates who registered for the 2026 examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) had already been issued their Learner Identification Numbers in the first phase of implementation.
Beyond examination integrity, officials said the system would enable the government to identify out-of-school children, track student progression, detect dropouts and address learning gaps, supporting timely and targeted interventions across the country.
The ministry added that it would extend the system’s coverage nationwide across public and private schools, and called on stakeholders to support its full implementation.
