The Federal Government has unveiled plans to introduce a nationwide Learner Identification Number (LIN) for school children, a reform designed to monitor pupils’ academic progression from primary school through to higher levels of education.
The initiative, announced by Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, will assign a unique identification number to every child at the point of primary school enrolment, enabling education authorities to track each learner’s journey regardless of transfers between schools or states.
Tackling Dropout Crisis Through Data
The policy is part of a broader effort to address Nigeria’s persistent school dropout challenge. According to government data, the country has over 50,000 public primary schools with more than 23 million pupils, yet only about three million transition into junior secondary school within the public system.
Officials say the LIN system will help identify exactly where students drop out of the system. By tracking attendance and progression, authorities can detect when a child expected to move to the next level is missing and investigate the cause—whether due to lack of access, economic barriers, or infrastructure gaps.
How the LIN Will Work
Under the proposed framework, each pupil will receive a permanent, trackable number that follows them throughout their academic life. The system will:
- Monitor enrolment and progression across all levels
- Track transfers between schools seamlessly
- Flag cases of non-enrolment or dropout for intervention
- Provide data to guide policy and infrastructure planning
Education officials describe the LIN as a shift toward a data-driven education system, where no child’s academic journey is lost within administrative gaps.
End of Common Entrance Exams
In a related development, the Federal Government also plans to phase out the common entrance examination for pupils moving from primary to junior secondary school. The exam will be replaced with a Continuous Assessment (CA) model, which evaluates pupils based on their cumulative performance from primary one.
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The continuous assessment record will be tied to each student’s LIN, ensuring that academic performance follows the learner across schools and over time.
Broader Education Reforms
The LIN rollout is part of a wider reform agenda aimed at improving access, retention, and completion rates in Nigeria’s education system. Government officials have also indicated plans to:
- Expand school infrastructure in collaboration with state governments
- Revive the school feeding programme to boost enrolment
- Strengthen monitoring and accountability within the education sector
A System Built for Accountability
Authorities believe that if effectively implemented, the Learner Identification Number will close long-standing gaps in Nigeria’s education system by ensuring visibility, continuity, and accountability in every child’s academic journey.
The success of the initiative, however, will depend largely on execution—particularly the government’s ability to act on the data generated and expand access to schools for millions of currently underserved children.
