UBEC Boss Backs Unified Learner ID for Education Transformation

The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has thrown its full support behind the Federal Government's initiative to establish a harmonized identity system for learners across Nigeria. The commission views this move as crucial for enhancing educational planning, promoting transparency, and improving service delivery nationwide.

UBEC's Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, conveyed this position in a statement released on Monday. Her announcement followed a significant meeting that included the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Alausa, and the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote. The gathering aimed to accelerate digital transformation within the country's education sector.

According to Garba, the proposed system will integrate the National Learners’ Identification Number (NLIN) with the existing National Identification Number (NIN) and the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS). This integration is designed to forge a singular, dependable identity framework for all learners throughout Nigeria.

Discussing the outcomes of the meeting, Garba highlighted that the discussions primarily focused on leveraging digital identity solutions to optimize education management and planning. She stated, “I had the privilege of joining the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, and the Director-General/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, for a strategic meeting on strengthening learner identification and advancing digital transformation in Nigeria’s education sector.”

She further elaborated, “The discussions centred on aligning the National Learners’ Identification Number with the National Identification Number (NIN) and the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) to establish a unified and reliable learner identity system.”

Garba also emphasized that this initiative would significantly boost the quality and reliability of education data, empowering both government bodies and other stakeholders to make more informed decisions regarding basic education. She added, “This initiative will enhance data integrity, strengthen planning, improve transparency, and support evidence-based decision-making across the education sector.”

Reiterating UBEC's perspective, the boss affirmed, “At UBEC, we recognise that quality data is essential to effective planning and the delivery of inclusive, equitable, and quality basic education.” She also confirmed the commission’s readiness to collaborate with relevant agencies to guarantee the successful implementation of the new system.

“We remain committed to working with the Federal Ministry of Education, NIMC, and other critical stakeholders to build a digitally enabled education system where every learner is counted, and every child has the opportunity to succeed,” Garba affirmed. “Together, we are laying the foundation for a smarter, more efficient, and future-ready education system for Nigeria.”

This planned integration is anticipated to improve learner tracking, facilitate better resource allocation, and align with the Federal Government’s broader objectives of deploying technology to expand access to quality basic education nationwide. Education stakeholders have consistently called for improved education data management, citing that inaccurate or fragmented records hinder effective planning, funding distribution, enrolment monitoring, and policy execution. In recent years, the Federal Government has intensified its efforts to digitize education administration through NEMIS and bolster identity management across various sectors using the NIN platform.