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.
NANS, in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, had opposed 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 and alleged that the agency was promoting an identification system outside its statutory responsibilities.
However, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the agency neither originated nor has the authority to implement the LIN initiative.
Issa-Onilu explained that NOA’s involvement was limited to its statutory responsibility of communicating government policies, programmes and activities to citizens while facilitating meaningful engagement between the government and the people.
He said the agency’s communication mandate covered policies and programmes across the government and was not limited to initiatives formulated or implemented by NOA.
“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 boss stressed the distinction between policy formulation, implementation and communication, noting that the government authorities responsible for the LIN initiative remained in charge of its formulation and implementation.
According to him, NOA’s role 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.
He said the two-way communication approach was central to the agency’s renewed public engagement strategy, including its “Pulse of the Nation” reports, which capture citizens’ opinions and reactions and relay them to government.
Issa-Onilu acknowledged NANS as an important stakeholder whose views should be heard on policies affecting students, but urged the association to direct its concerns about the LIN initiative to the appropriate government institution.
He emphasised that communicating a government policy does not amount to formulating, imposing or implementing it.
“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.
Issa-Onilu urged NANS and other stakeholders to distinguish between the responsibilities of institutions driving government policies and those of NOA, which is mandated to communicate such policies to the public.
He also said the agency remained open to constructive engagement with NANS, students and other stakeholders on the proposed LIN, including concerns about its relationship with the NIN.
According to him, such engagement is a core part of NOA’s responsibility as a bridge between government and citizens and should not be interpreted as an overreach of its statutory mandate.
The Director-General reaffirmed NOA’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and two-way communication with Nigerians, stressing that citizens’ concerns and perspectives are essential to effective public policy communication and democratic governance.
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