By Stephen Adeleye.
The Zonal Director, North Central Directorate, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Priscilla Gondoaluor, has restated the agency’s dedication to the National Identity Project, aimed at promoting national unity, stability, and progress.
Speaking to newsmen during her familiarization tour to Kogi State, at NOA Headquarters Lokoja, Gondoaluor emphasized the importance of collaboration with relevant stakeholders to ensure the project’s full implementation.
She said the primary objective of the National Identity Project is to create a sense of belonging and shared identity among Nigerians, which will in turn promote national unity, stability, and progress.
She added the key components included: Value reorientation, Cultural heritage, and National symbol, being implemented by NOA through a multi-faceted approach, such as sensitisation, community engagement, education and training.
Dr. Gondoaluor emphasised that the agency’s efforts, aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a united and prosperous Nigeria.
She noted that the President would soon launch the National Value Charter, which is a powerful tool for building a united, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria.
According to her, the charter serves as a moral compass, emphasizing the importance of values such as patriotism, integrity, hard work, and respect for human dignity.
“With its focus on value reorientation, cultural heritage, and national symbols, the project is expected to inspire a sense of shared identity and purpose among Nigerians.
“By embracing and living these core values, Nigerians can create a brighter future for themselves and generations to come,” she said.
The NOA zonal director stressed that value reorientation, particularly among young Nigerians, is vital for the country’s progress.
She said that 70 per cent of cartoons in the Nigeria would be local content which has been endorsed by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
She added that the agency was also setting up Brigades in schools and communities which would be based on moral values and constitutional provisions.
Gondoaluor, while addressing the agency’s staff in Kogi, admonished them to be diligent and proactive in disseminating right information to the citizens according to the agency’s mandates, at both state and local government levels.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the State Director of NOA, Kogi Directorate, Mr Patrick Edogbanya, said NOA had been at the forefront of promoting national unity and identity through various initiatives.
Edogbanya commended the Director-General of NOA, Mall. Lanre Issa-Onilu, for his initiatives in restructuring NOA by creating six Zonal Directorates, to provide oversight functions on his behalf.
He stressed that the DG had been leading at the forefront in encouraging Nigerians to emphasize their national identity at all times, stressing that this is essential for unity and progress.
“With the agency’s continued efforts, Nigeria is poised to foster a stronger sense of national identity and unity among its citizens,”Edogbanya said.
In his vote of thanks, Pastor Augustine Ogbonnikan, NOA Head of Program, congratulated the zonal director on her appointment, and commended her maiden familiarization visit to the state, describing it as a great motivation for the staff.
Ogbonnikan reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to continue to educate citizens on core values that define the essence of Nigerian citizenship, and guide the behavior of individuals and institutions towards achieving a united, peaceful, and prosperous nation.
The zonal director thereafter paid an advocacy visit to the Maigari of Lokoja, Alh Ibrahim Gambo Kabir, where she solicited the royal father’s support to fulfilling the agency’s mandates.
She also visited Chairmen of some local governments in the state, such as Kabba-Bunu, Ijumu, Lokoja, Ajaokuta LGAs, among others.
NOA recently organized the 7 for 7 National Values Charter Campus Debate, which brought together students from different parts of the country to discuss and promote Nigeria’s shared values.
