National Orientation Agency To introduce 37,000 brigades

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) says it will soon introduce 37,000 Citizens Brigades across the 36 states, including the FCT, to promote moral values among Nigerians.

The Director General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu, disclosed during a familiarisation visit to the agency state directorate in Niger state in Minna that the initiative will kick-start with the launch of the 1,000 Citizens Brigade in primary schools to promote national values of the past.

He said the citizen brigades will be trained on positive leadership values and nurtured to become models for others to emulate.

According to him, people who are 35 years of age and younger constitute 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population and any policy you are designing must focus on this group, who are the largest population

Issa Onilu said the mandate of NOA was to bring about positive change in society, adding that part of the efforts was to inculcate positive values in the youths to become model citizens in society.

He said the agency was in discussion with relevant institutions to introduce nationalism study as a compulsory subject in the curriculum in primary schools and universities to teach positive values.

He described it as worrisome that children were exposed to foreign content through cartoons, adding that the agency would call for entries from people to produce cartoons that promote local content.

He added that the agency would soon launch a mobile app containing indigenous cartoons through which local content, national values and culture would be promoted.

He added that the agency had brought all its activities under an acronym called CLHEEAN to clean society of all bad behaviours, activities and mannerisms.

The director general, however, solicited the cooperation and support of the staff of the agency in carrying out these activities and promised to prioritise staff welfare.