Education ministry, NIMC partner to integrate 80 million learners into national identity system
The federal ministry of education and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have strengthened collaboration to establish a single national identity system, with plans to integrate the records of nearly 80 million learners into Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.
Tunji Alausa, minister of education, spoke on Thursday in Abuja while receiving Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director-general and chief executive officer (CEO) of NIMC, during a courtesy visit.
The minister said the partnership aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s vision of using technology to improve governance, transparency and service delivery, adding that the education sector would provide full support to the commission in strengthening Nigeria’s identity management system.
Alausa commended NIMC for what he described as significant progress in modernising the country’s identity infrastructure.
“I am delighted that NIMC, under the leadership of Engineer Abisoye Coker-Odusote, is setting standards that are comparable with the best anywhere in the world in identity management,” he said.
“Within a short period, the agency has been transformed in ways never seen before. This aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision and the mandate he has given you. You have worked tirelessly to make the President proud by implementing every aspect of that mandate.”
The minister said the recently signed NIMC Act had strengthened the legal framework for collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies, paving the way for what he described as “a single source of truth” for identity management across the country.
“Let me assure you that we in the education sector are your strongest partners. We will support everything your agency is doing to strengthen trust and credibility in Nigeria’s identity management system,” he said.
80 MILLION LEARNERS TO BE CAPTURED
Alausa said the education sector would play a critical role in developing Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure because it holds one of the country’s largest repositories of citizen data.
According to him, about 67 million learners are enrolled in Nigeria’s basic and post-basic education system, including early childhood, primary, junior secondary and senior secondary schools.
He added that when students in tertiary institutions and technical and vocational education programmes are included, the number rises to nearly 80 million people — almost one-third of Nigeria’s estimated population.
“The education sector represents one of the largest pools of citizens in the country. Therefore, collaboration between NIMC and the education sector is essential,” he said.
The minister disclosed that the ministry had already developed the National Learners’ Identification Number (NLIN), which is now being aligned with the National Identification Number (NIN) to harmonise learner records with the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
He said integrating the systems would enable government to verify learners’ identities, generate credible education statistics and improve planning, monitoring and policy implementation.
“This gives us access to credible biometric information linked to each learner’s NIN. We can now verify every learner’s identity and determine whether the individual is a Nigerian citizen or a legal resident with a valid identification number,” Alausa said.
“This enables us to aggregate and disaggregate education data accurately, providing evidence-based information for policy formulation, interventions, planning, monitoring and evaluation.”
Reaffirming the ministry’s commitment, he added: “Today, DG, I could not be happier with the progress we have made together. You have our full commitment. Whatever support you require from us to make your work easier in establishing a single source of truth for Nigeria, we will provide it.”
Responding, Coker-Odusote commended the minister for the ongoing reforms in the education sector, describing them as transformative.
“On behalf of NIMC and indeed all Nigerians, we commend you for the remarkable work you have done. The transformation you have brought to the education sector is truly outstanding,” she said.
She assured the ministry of NIMC’s continued support in strengthening identity management across the education sector.
“As the custodian of Nigeria’s identity system, NIMC will continue to support your efforts to strengthen identity management within the education sector,” she said.
The collaboration forms part of the federal government’s broader digital transformation agenda under the renewed hope programme.
It is expected to improve education planning, eliminate duplicate learner records, strengthen transparency in government interventions and promote data-driven policymaking by integrating the national learners’ identification number with the national identification number (NIN) and the national education management information system (NEMIS).
