The Federal Government has announced plans to extend trusted digital identity coverage to nearly 80 million learners across Nigeria’s education system through a partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
The initiative was disclosed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, during a meeting with the Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, in Abuja.
According to the minister, the collaboration is aimed at integrating identity and education data infrastructure to improve planning, governance and service delivery within the education sector.
Alausa said the Ministry of Education has already integrated the National Learners’ Identification Number with the National Identification Number (NIN) through the Nigeria Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
He explained that the integration links learners’ identity records with the national identity database, providing verified education data to support evidence-based planning, equitable allocation of resources and improved learning outcomes across all levels of education.
The minister described the recently enacted NIMC Act, 2026, as a landmark reform that will strengthen governance, enhance public service delivery and increase confidence in Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.
According to him, the integration of learner identification data with the national identity database will enable government to make more informed policy decisions based on accurate and reliable information.
Alausa noted that Nigeria’s education sector currently serves nearly 80 million learners, making it one of the largest beneficiary groups of the country’s digital identity expansion programme.
Speaking during the meeting, NIMC Director-General Bisoye Coker-Odusote disclosed that more than 120 million Nigerians have already been enrolled in the national identity database, with digital identity services continuing to expand across the country.
She said the collaboration between NIMC and the Federal Ministry of Education reflects the Federal Government’s broader strategy of deploying digital identity infrastructure to improve governance, strengthen accountability and enhance public service delivery across critical sectors.
The initiative builds on ongoing reforms by the Federal Government to modernise Nigeria’s education system through data-driven policymaking and improved monitoring of learning outcomes.
As part of those reforms, the Federal Government recently conducted the country’s first National Learning Assessment Week across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory to generate reliable data on students’ academic performance. The exercise is expected to guide future education policies, improve resource allocation and strengthen learning outcomes nationwide.
