The National Orientation Agency (NOA) of Nigeria has launched a nationwide public awareness campaign in partnership with more than 185 media organisations, aimed at deepening citizens’ understanding of government programmes, promoting national values, and strengthening security consciousness.
At the campaign’s launch in Calabar, Cross River State, NOA Director General Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu emphasised that the initiative seeks to engage Nigerians across all demographics through expanded communication platforms. The outreach will also highlight pressing issues such as flood preparedness and the national identity project, underscoring the government’s broader efforts to enhance civic participation and resilience.
Issa-Onilu, who was represented by the Director of Community Safety, Awareness and Compliance, Mrs. Tessy Nnalue, stated the media partnership, including the use of social media and AI-powered tools, would ensure citizens receive the information as well as provide feedback.
According to the Director-General, Nigeria needed more conversations connecting government with its people, noting that the media must be at the heart of the effort.
He said, “We are not just speaking to Nigerians; we are engaging with Nigerians. Through the media, town halls, road shows and school visits, citizens can ask questions, demand answers, and give feedback that shapes better governance.”
Continuing, Issa-Onilu admitted, “The media are our strongest allies. They help us translate complex policies into everyday language and bring government closer to the people.”
Thematic areas for sensitisation
The Cross River State NOA Director, John Asanye, in an earlier remark, emphasised that the media played a vital role in shaping national consciousness and amplifying the campaigns at the grassroots.
Asanye warned against the moral decline amongst secondary and tertiary institutions graduates while celebrating the end of the session, or “signing out ceremonies”, and urged journalists to highlight positive examples that would inspire discipline, patriotism and unity.
According to him, “the moral decline among youths is alarming. But this is not a problem for parents alone. Schools, religious leaders, communities, and especially the media must shine a light on values of respect, responsibility, and patriotism.”
On the recurring nightmare of flooding across communities nationwide, the State Director said, “the effects are devastating: loss of lives and property, displacement of families, destruction of farmlands, food insecurity and outbreak of water-borne diseases.
“The solutions include public enlightenment on environmental responsibility, strict adherence to urban planning regulations, desilting of drainage channels and community participation in flood prevention,” he explained.
Asanye further declared, “The challenges confronting Nigeria are real, but they are not insurmountable. With unity of purpose, shared responsibility, and strong moral conviction, we can overcome them.”
He urged, “The media must play its role in responsible reporting. I urge you, our partners in the media, to help amplify these campaigns, educate the public, and sustain national conversations that will promote peace, unity, and development. So that together, we can build a Nigeria founded on values, resilience, and patriotism.”
The five thematic areas for the campaign include government policies and programmes such as the Renewed Hope Agenda, the Nigeria Education Loan Fund, social safety nets and youth investment schemes.
Others are flood mitigation and environmental responsibility; security awareness for safer communities; national values re-orientation for students against extreme graduation practices, as well as the Nigerian national identity project and respect for national symbols.