FG unveils learner identification number to boost education system

The Federal Government has launched the nationwide Learner Identification Number (LIN), a digital system assigning every student a permanent academic identity to support learning continuity, improve planning, and enable timely interventions.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, described the initiative as a transformational milestone aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, focused on human capital development and technology-driven reforms.

The ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Boriowo Folasade, in a statement issued on Friday, March 10, 2026, said over 1.9 million candidates for the 2026 examinations conducted by West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) have been issued LINs, thereby strengthening education data management and examination integrity.

Folasade said the LIN enables seamless tracking of academic progression across all levels, adding that it is integrated with the Digitised National Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), which provides a national register of schools.

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“By linking learners to verified identities, the system enhances examination security, reduces impersonation, and supports tracking of out-of-school children, dropouts, and learning gaps,” she stated.

Folasade, who noted that the ministry will expand the system nationwide across public and private schools, called on stakeholders to support the system’s full implementation.

She reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to building a transparent, inclusive, and data-driven education system.