The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has rejected allegations by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) that it is exceeding its statutory mandate by participating in the proposed National Learner Identification Number (LIN) initiative.
NANS, in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, had rejected the proposed LIN, describing it as unnecessary and potentially duplicative of the National Identification Number (NIN).
The students’ body had also questioned NOA’s involvement in the initiative and alleged that the agency was championing an identification system outside its statutory mandate.
However, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said the agency was neither the originator nor the implementing authority for the proposed LIN.
Issa-Onilu explained that NOA’s involvement was limited to its statutory responsibility of communicating government policies, programmes and activities to citizens, as well as facilitating engagement between government and the people.
He said the agency’s communication mandate covered policies and programmes across government and was not restricted 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 Director-General stressed the distinction between policy formulation, implementation and communication, noting that the authorities responsible for the LIN initiative remained in charge of its formulation and implementation.
According to him, NOA’s responsibility is to explain the policy to Nigerians in clear and accessible terms and provide platforms for citizens to express their views, concerns and reactions.
He said such two-way communication was 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 communicate them back to government.
Issa-Onilu acknowledged NANS as an important stakeholder whose views should be heard on policies affecting students, but urged the association to channel its concerns on the LIN initiative to the appropriate government institution.
He maintained that communicating a government policy did not amount to formulating, imposing or implementing the 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,” he said.
Issa-Onilu urged NANS and other stakeholders to distinguish between the responsibilities of the institution driving a government policy and those of the agency mandated to communicate such policies to the public.
He, however, said NOA remained open to constructive engagement with NANS, students and other stakeholders on the proposed LIN, including concerns about its relationship with the NIN.
The Director-General reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and two-way communication with Nigerians, saying citizens’ concerns and perspectives remained essential to effective public policy communication and democratic governance.
