UBEC endorses unified learner identity system

The Universal Basic Education Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to the Federal Government’s drive to establish a unified learner identity system, describing the initiative as a critical step towards improving education planning, transparency and service delivery across Nigeria.

The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, disclosed this in a statement she issued on Monday, after a meeting involving the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa, and the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, aimed at deepening digital transformation in the education sector.

According to her, the proposed initiative seeks to integrate the National Learners’ Identification Number with the National Identification Number and the National Education Management Information System to create a single, reliable identity framework for learners nationwide.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Garba said the engagement focused on leveraging digital identity to improve education management and planning.

She said, “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.

“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 further stated that the initiative would improve the quality and reliability of education data, enabling government and stakeholders to make more informed decisions on basic education.