By | Goodluck E. Adubazi, Abuja
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has rejected 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.
The controversy followed a statement by NANS, signed by its President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, rejecting the proposed LIN and describing it as unnecessary and potentially duplicative of the existing National Identification Number (NIN).
The students’ body also questioned the involvement of the NOA in the initiative, alleging that the Agency was championing an identification system outside its statutory responsibilities.
However, the Director-General of the NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, clarified that the Agency is neither the originator nor the implementing authority of the proposed LIN initiative.
Issa-Onilu explained that NOA’s involvement falls strictly within its statutory responsibility of communicating government policies, programmes and activities to Nigerians, while also facilitating meaningful engagement between the government and citizens.
According to him, the Agency’s communication mandate covers policies and programmes across government and is not limited to initiatives formulated or implemented by the NOA 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 NOA Director-General stressed the need to distinguish between policy formulation, implementation and communication, noting that the institutions responsible for the LIN initiative remain in charge of its formulation and implementation.
He said the responsibility of the NOA is to explain government policies to Nigerians in clear and accessible terms and provide platforms through which citizens can express their views, concerns and reactions.
Issa-Onilu noted that the two-way communication process is central to the Agency’s renewed approach to public engagement, particularly through its “Pulse of the Nation” reports, which capture citizens’ opinions and reactions and feed them back to the government.
He acknowledged NANS as an important stakeholder with a legitimate right to express its views on policies affecting Nigerian students but urged the association to channel its concerns and opinions to the appropriate government institution responsible for the LIN initiative.
The Director-General emphasised that communicating a government policy should not be misconstrued as formulating, imposing or implementing such a policy.
“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,” Issa-Onilu said.
He, therefore, urged NANS and other stakeholders to distinguish between the responsibilities of institutions driving government policies and those of the Agency mandated to communicate such policies to the public.
Issa-Onilu further said that the NOA remains open to constructive engagement with NANS, students and other stakeholders on the proposed LIN, including concerns surrounding its relationship with the National Identification Number.
According to him, such engagement is a core component of the Agency’s mandate as a bridge between the government and citizens and should not be interpreted as an overreach of its statutory responsibilities.
The NOA Director-General reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and two-way communication with Nigerians, stressing that citizens’ concerns and perspectives remain essential to effective public policy communication and democratic governance.
