Agency Says Its Role Is Limited to Public Orientation, Stakeholder Engagement and Policy Communication
By Chioma Vivian James / Abuja
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has rejected allegations by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) that it is exceeding its statutory mandate through its involvement in the proposed National Learner Identification Number (LIN) initiative.
NANS, in a statement signed by its President, Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, had opposed the proposed LIN, describing it as unnecessary and potentially duplicative of the National Identification Number (NIN).
The students’ body also questioned NOA’s involvement, alleging that the Agency was championing an identification system outside its statutory responsibilities.
However, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, has clarified that the Agency is neither the originator nor the implementing authority for the proposed LIN initiative.
Issa-Onilu explained that NOA’s involvement falls squarely within its statutory responsibility of communicating government policies, programmes and activities to citizens, while creating opportunities for meaningful interaction between government and the people.
According to him, the Agency’s communication mandate extends across government and is not limited to policies or programmes formulated or implemented by NOA itself.
“As the primary government agency responsible for public orientation, NOA works across Ministries, Departments and Agencies to ensure that citizens receive accurate, timely and understandable information about government policies, programmes and activities,” he said.
The NOA Director-General stressed the need to distinguish between policy formulation, implementation and public communication, noting that the institutions responsible for the LIN initiative remain in charge of its development and implementation.
He said NOA’s responsibility is to ensure that Nigerians understand government policies and programmes, while providing platforms for citizens and stakeholders to express their views, concerns and reactions.
Issa-Onilu noted that this two-way communication approach is central to the Agency’s renewed public engagement strategy, particularly through its “Pulse of the Nation” reports, which capture citizens’ opinions and reactions and feed them back into government.
He acknowledged NANS as an important stakeholder whose views should be heard on policies affecting students and young Nigerians. He, however, urged the student body to direct its substantive concerns about the LIN initiative to the appropriate government institution responsible for the policy.
The NOA boss maintained that communicating a government policy does not amount to formulating, imposing or implementing such a policy.
“NOA’s role is to ensure that citizens understand what government is doing, why it is doing it and how they can engage with it. This is fundamentally different from being the institution that formulates or implements the policy,” he said.
Issa-Onilu therefore called on NANS and other stakeholders to properly distinguish between the responsibilities of the institution driving a government policy and those of NOA, whose statutory responsibility is to communicate such policies to the public.
He further assured that the Agency remains open to constructive engagement with NANS, students and other stakeholders on the proposed LIN, including concerns surrounding its relationship with the existing National Identification Number.
According to him, facilitating dialogue between government and citizens is a core component of NOA’s mandate and should not be interpreted as an attempt by the Agency to assume responsibilities outside its statutory functions.
The Director-General reaffirmed NOA’s commitment to transparent, inclusive and two-way communication with Nigerians, stressing that citizens’ concerns, perspectives and feedback remain critical to effective public policy communication and democratic governance.
Paul Odenyi
Deputy Director, Communication and Media
