Education Ministry Targets 80 Million Learners for Digital Identity Drive Through NIN-LIN Integration

By Jane Salihu

The Federal Ministry of Education has reaffirmed its commitment to partnering with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to provide digital identity for an estimated 80 million learners across Nigeria through the integration of the National Identification Number (NIN) and the National Learners’ Identification Number (LIN).

Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Olatunji Alausa, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja while receiving the Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team during a stakeholder engagement on the implementation of the newly enacted NIMC Act, 2026.

Dr. Alausa described a credible national identity system as essential to effective governance, quality education and sustainable national development, stressing that the education sector remains one of the country’s largest platforms for expanding digital identity coverage.

He disclosed that the Ministry has made significant progress in integrating the National Learners’ Identification Number (LIN) with the National Identification Number (NIN) through the Nigeria Education Management Information System (NEMIS), creating a reliable, biometrically verified database to support evidence-based policymaking, efficient resource allocation and improved learning outcomes.

According to the Minister, the integration will strengthen education planning, improve transparency and ensure that government interventions are accurately targeted at learners across all levels of education.

He noted that with nearly 80 million learners in Nigeria’s education system, the sector offers a strategic opportunity to accelerate digital identity enrolment while supporting national planning and service delivery.

Dr. Alausa further reaffirmed the Ministry’s readiness to work closely with NIMC in implementing the provisions of the NIMC Act, 2026, describing the legislation as a milestone in strengthening Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem and enhancing access to public services through secure identity management.

Earlier, the Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, said the Commission’s nationwide stakeholder engagement was designed to sensitise Ministries, Departments and Agencies on the provisions of the new Act while deepening collaboration for its implementation.

She explained that the NIMC Act, 2026 establishes the Commission as Nigeria’s foundational digital identity authority and provides the legal framework for Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), enabling secure digital governance and trusted electronic transactions.

Coker-Odusote revealed that more than 120 million Nigerians have so far been enrolled in the national identity database. She added that NIMC has expanded identity verification services across government institutions, financial institutions and telecommunications operators, alongside the introduction of the NIMC Authentication App and a free Digital ID Card.

Also speaking, the Head of Strategy and Programme Office at NIMC, Dr. Alva Nkoku, said the new legal framework marks Nigeria’s transition from conventional identity management to a comprehensive digital trust framework that supports secure authentication, digital signatures, certificate verification and paperless public administration.

He noted that the framework would strengthen education service delivery by enabling secure student enrolment, scholarship administration, examination management and certificate authentication, while reducing fraud and improving data integrity across the sector.

In her closing remarks, Engr. Coker-Odusote commended Dr. Alausa for the ongoing reforms in the education sector and reaffirmed NIMC’s commitment to deepening collaboration with the Ministry to ensure that learners fully benefit from Nigeria’s evolving digital identity ecosystem.

Dr. Alausa, in response, assured NIMC of the Ministry’s full support in implementing the provisions of the NIMC Act, stressing that the partnership would further enhance education service delivery, promote transparency and advance the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda.