By joshua No LIN, No Benefits: Kogi Govt Says Unregistered Pupils Will Lose Free Education, WAEC, Scholarships
The Kogi State Government has warned that pupils and students without a Learners Identification Number, LIN, will no longer benefit from Government interventions, including free education, admission into higher institutions, WAEC, NECO Mock, BECE, and scholarships.
Governor Usman Ahmed Ododo gave the warning through the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones, during a stakeholders’ sensitisation meeting on the 2025/2026 Annual School Census held at the Banquet Hall of the State Government House.
The Governor said the LIN is not a tax measure but a unique identifier for every child in the education system. He directed all schools, especially private operators, to ensure every child is captured.
“Do not deny any child the opportunity to be captured. Any school that denies a child registration in the 2025/2026 Annual School Census will be penalised,” Ododo warned.
He explained that the LIN will serve as the child’s identity from basic school through tertiary education. “This number is what the child will be required to use all through his academic journey to the tertiary institution,” he said.
Governor Ododo urged citizens to support efforts to build a virile education system in Kogi as part of measures to curb crime and criminality.
The Commissioner disclosed that from now on, only children with LIN will access state interventions. “Any child without a Learners Identification Number will henceforth not be allowed to benefit from the state government’s free education policy and other interventions,” he said.
The child will also be barred from admission into higher schools, WAEC, NECO Mock, BECE, and scholarship schemes currently enjoyed in the state.
Hon. Jones commended Governor Ododo for his commitment to education, citing ongoing school renovations, payment of WAEC fees, regular payment of teachers’ salaries, and the administration’s insistence on maintaining 30% budgetary allocation to education.
Dr. Animoku Elizabeth, Director of Planning and Statistics, Kogi State Ministry of Education, said the 2025/2026 Annual School Census will be a turning point for the sector. She described it as a digital, nationwide exercise that will capture data from both public and private schools.
According to her, the census will provide real-time data on learners, teachers, infrastructure, and learning resources to guide planning, resource allocation, and policy formulation.
“The LIN will be used throughout a child’s educational journey. It will help in learner tracking, reduce impersonation, strengthen exam integrity, and close learning gaps,” Dr. Animoku said.
She added that the Ministry will train data officers and principals for two days to ensure smooth data uploading. She warned against under-reporting and stressed that the exercise is “not for taxation.”
The meeting had in attendance representatives of ANCOPSS, NAPS, KONGONET, AMIS, Education Secretaries, Kogi State Statistician General, SUBEB, Kogi State House of Assembly Committee on Education, and former Commissioners for Education, including Roseline Oshikoya and Sunday Olorunleke.
In their goodwill messages, stakeholders described the Annual School Census as a veritable tool for education development and pledged full cooperation to ensure its success.