NANS had raised objections to the proposed LIN, describing it as unnecessary and potentially duplicative of the National Identification Number (NIN). The students’ body also questioned NOA’s involvement in the initiative.
In a clarification, NOA Director-General, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the Agency did not originate the LIN initiative and is not responsible for its implementation.
In a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Communication and Media, Paul Odenyi, on Thursday, he explained that NOA’s involvement is based solely on its statutory mandate to communicate government policies, programmes and activities to Nigerians and facilitate interaction between government and citizens.
Issa-Onilu said the Agency’s responsibility covers policies and programmes of government generally, irrespective of the Ministry, Department or Agency responsible for formulating or implementing them.
He said NOA provides citizens with accurate and understandable information while creating opportunities for them to express their opinions and concerns on government policies.
According to him, there is a clear distinction between communicating a policy and being responsible for its formulation or 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 Director-General also pointed to the Agency’s “Pulse of the Nation” reports as part of its approach to capturing citizens’ views and communicating their concerns back to government.
He acknowledged NANS as an important stakeholder in discussions concerning policies affecting students, but advised the association to direct its substantive concerns over the LIN to the government institution responsible for the initiative.
Issa-Onilu said NOA remains willing to engage NANS, students and other stakeholders on the proposed learner identification system, including concerns about its relationship with the NIN.
He reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to transparent and inclusive public communication, stressing that facilitating citizens’ participation in policy discussions is part of NOA’s statutory responsibility and should not be construed as an attempt to usurp the functions of other government institutions.