The National Orientation Agency (NOA) announced on Tuesday that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved its memoranda aimed at entrenching value orientation in Nigeria. Among the approved initiatives is the sanctioning of the first stanza of the national anthem for rendition at official functions, reserving the full three stanzas for special occasions.
The NOA stated that these special occasions include Independence Day, Democracy Day, Inauguration of the National Assembly, Children’s Day, Armed Forces Remembrance Day, and Workers’ Day.
In a press briefing in Lagos, Lanre Issa-Onilu, the Director General of NOA, represented by Mrs. Olowoyo Ayesola, the Director of Human Resources, emphasized the agency’s commitment to re-engineering its campaigns nationwide. She noted that citizenship studies would also become a compulsory component of the education system from primary to secondary school levels.
Issa-Onilu highlighted the achievements made by the NOA in recent weeks, stating, “We have been advocating for a fundamental approach to value orientation and attitudinal change campaigns. Slogans may sound appealing, but they do not deeply instill these values in our hearts. Our mandate, as established by the act that created the agency, is to communicate government policies, mobilize support, and gather feedback on these policies.”
She further elaborated on the agency’s mission: “We are also mandated to promote democracy as the best form of government and to cultivate values that foster peace, orderliness, and moral conduct. Over the past year, we have pursued these objectives with renewed vigor.”
The agency, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, submitted several proposals to the FEC aimed at reinforcing value orientation processes. The approved memoranda focus on early-age indoctrination and establishing a framework for evaluating the “Real Nigerian” character.
Key aspects of the initiative include the restoration of the dignity and standardization of national symbols, such as the National Flag, Anthem, Pledge, and Coat of Arms. The FEC approved that the first stanza of the national anthem should be sung at all official functions, while the three stanzas are reserved for special occasions. Additionally, the third stanza of the anthem is to be adopted as a national prayer.