The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has announced new initiatives aimed at reinforcing citizenship values and promoting national pride among Nigerians. Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Director-General of NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, represented by the Director of Human Resources, Mrs. Olowoyo Ayesola, outlined the agency’s recent achievements and future plans.
Mrs. Ayesola stated that citizenship education will become a mandatory component of the curriculum from primary to secondary schools. She emphasized the importance of instilling civic values and national identity in young Nigerians.
“In the last two weeks, NOA has achieved significant milestones in its bid to re-engineer the focus of its campaigns nationwide. We have been advocating for a fundamental approach to value orientation and attitudinal change campaigns. While slogans may sound appealing, they do not deeply entrench these values in our hearts,” she remarked.
The act that established NOA clearly defines its mandate, which includes communicating government policies, mobilizing support, and providing feedback to the government on its programs. It also aims to promote democracy as the optimal model of governance and foster values that ensure peace, orderliness, and moral conduct.
Over the past year, the agency has pursued its objectives with renewed vigor, collaborating with its parent ministry, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation. The NOA has submitted proposals to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) aimed at strengthening value orientation processes, particularly focusing on indoctrination from a young age and evaluating the essence of a “Real Nigerian” character.
Several memoranda have been approved by the FEC, including the restoration of the dignity and standardization of national symbols such as the National Flag, Anthem, Pledge, and the Coat of Arms. Under this initiative, the Council has mandated that the first stanza of the National Anthem be rendered at all official functions, while the three stanzas will be reserved for special occasions, including Independence Day, Democracy Day, the Inauguration of the National Assembly, Children’s Day, Armed Forces Remembrance Day, and Workers’ Day. Additionally, the third stanza of the National Anthem has been adopted as a national prayer.
