Otamere Gladness 
NIMC, DG,Bisoye Coker-Odusote and Education Minister, Dr. Maruf Alausa
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria digital identity reforms are set to gain momentum through deeper collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as the government moves to integrate learners into the country’s digital identity ecosystem.
The Minister of Education, Maruf Olatunji Alausa, announced the commitment on Thursday while receiving officials of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) during a stakeholder engagement on the newly enacted NIMC Act 2026.
Alausa said the partnership would strengthen identity management, improve education planning and support evidence-based policymaking across Nigeria’s education sector.
He described education as a critical pillar of President **Bola Ahmed Tinubu>’s technology-driven reforms, saying the sector is essential to achieving the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda and its ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy.
“Education remains central to the Renewed Hope Agenda because it provides the skilled human capital required to drive sustainable economic growth and national development,” Alausa said.
The minister said Nigeria’s estimated 80 million learners present a significant opportunity to strengthen the country’s digital identity infrastructure.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Education is integrating the National Learners’ Identification Number (LIN) with the National Identification Number (NIN) through the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) to improve planning, enhance transparency and ensure more efficient allocation of education resources.
The Director-General of NIMC, Bisoye Coker-Odusote, said the NIMC Act 2026 establishes the commission as Nigeria’s foundational digital identity authority, providing the legal framework for secure digital governance.
She disclosed that more than 120 million Nigerians have already enrolled in the national identity database, adding that the commission has introduced new digital tools, including the NIMC Authentication App and a free Digital ID Card, to improve access to government and private sector services.
About the Author
Mirian Gom 
Hussaini Ibrahim 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius