By Mercy Peter
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has clarified its involvement in the proposed National Learner Identification Number (LIN) initiative, rejecting allegations by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) that the agency is exceeding its statutory mandate by participating in the programme.
NANS, in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, had rejected the proposed LIN, describing it as unnecessary and potentially duplicative of the National Identification Number (NIN). The students’ body also questioned NOA’s involvement, alleging that the agency was championing an identification system outside its statutory responsibilities.
However, responding to the concerns, the Director-General of the NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, explained that the agency is neither the originator nor the implementing authority for the proposed LIN initiative.
Issa-Onilu said the agency’s involvement is limited to its statutory responsibility of communicating government policies, programmes and activities to citizens, while creating avenues for meaningful interaction between the government and the people.
According to him, NOA’s communication mandate extends across government and is not limited to policies or programmes formulated or implemented by the agency itself.
“As the primary government agency responsible for public orientation, NOA works across Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure that citizens receive accurate, timely and understandable information about government policies, programmes and activities,” he said.
The Director-General stressed the distinction between policy formulation, implementation and communication, noting that the institutions responsible for the LIN initiative remain in charge of its formulation and implementation.
He explained that NOA’s responsibility is to communicate the policy to Nigerians in clear and accessible terms and provide platforms through which citizens can express their views, concerns and reactions.
Issa-Onilu said the two-way communication approach forms a central part of the agency’s renewed public engagement strategy, particularly through its “Pulse of the Nation” reports, which capture citizens’ opinions and reactions and relay them to government.
He maintained that NOA’s communication of a government policy should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its formulation or an indication that the agency has assumed responsibility for its implementation.
“NOA’s role is to ensure that citizens understand what government is doing, why it is doing it and how they can engage with it. This is fundamentally different from being the institution that formulates or implements the policy,” he said.
The NOA boss acknowledged NANS as an important stakeholder in discussions concerning policies that directly affect students, stressing that the students’ body has a legitimate role in expressing concerns about the proposed LIN.
He, however, urged NANS to direct its substantive policy concerns and objections regarding the initiative to the appropriate government institution responsible for the LIN.
Issa-Onilu also called on stakeholders to distinguish between the responsibilities of an institution driving a government policy and those of an agency mandated to communicate such policies to the public.
He said NOA remains willing to engage constructively with NANS, students and other stakeholders on the proposed learner identification system, including questions about its relationship with the existing NIN framework.
According to him, such engagement is consistent with NOA’s mandate as a bridge between government and citizens and should not be construed as an overreach of the agency’s statutory responsibilities.
The Director-General reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and two-way communication with Nigerians, stressing that citizens’ concerns, perspectives and feedback are critical to effective public policy communication and democratic governance.
