The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce a nationwide Learner Identification Number system designed to track pupils across schools and tackle the growing challenge of dropouts in Nigeria’s education sector.
Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed the initiative during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, describing it as a major reform aimed at improving accountability and long-term planning within the system.
Under the proposed framework, every pupil will be assigned a unique identification number that follows them from primary school through junior secondary education, regardless of transfers between schools. The system is expected to give education authorities a clearer picture of student progression and help identify gaps in enrollment and retention.
The minister said the policy was informed by troubling statistics that reveal a sharp drop in the number of pupils transitioning to higher levels of education. Nigeria currently has over 50,000 public primary schools with more than 23 million pupils, yet only slightly above 3 million move on to public junior secondary schools.
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He noted that the figures raise serious concerns about millions of children who are no longer accounted for within the formal education system, a development that poses risks for both national development and social stability.
Education experts believe the Learner Identification Number could reshape how data is used in the sector, offering a more precise method for tracking attendance, identifying at-risk pupils, and designing targeted interventions. The system is also expected to strengthen transparency and improve the efficiency of government policies.
The initiative reflects a broader push by the Federal Government to apply technology and data-driven solutions in addressing long-standing challenges in education, with the aim of ensuring that more Nigerian children remain in school and complete their basic education.
