NOA rejects NANS claim overstepping mandate in National Learner ID plan
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has denied allegations by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) that it is exceeding its statutory mandate through its involvement in the proposed National Learner Identification Number (LIN) initiative. NOA Director-General Lanre Issa-Onilu said on September 10, 2026 that the Agency is neither the originator nor the implementing authority for the LIN; its role is limited to communicating government policies, programmes and activities to citizens and facilitating two-way engagement between government and the people. NANS, in a statement signed by its President Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, had described the LIN as unnecessary and potentially duplicative of the National Identification Number (NIN), questioning NOA’s involvement. Issa-Onilu stressed that communicating a policy does not amount to formulating, imposing or implementing it, and urged NANS to direct their opinions to the appropriate government institution handling the LIN. He added that NOA remains open to constructive engagement with students and other stakeholders on the initiative, including its relationship with the NIN, as part of its mandate to serve as a bridge between government and citizens. The DG reaffirmed NOA’s commitment to transparent, inclusive communication, noting that citizens’ perspectives are essential to effective public policy and democratic governance.