The Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris has hailed recorded success by the National Orientation Agency, NOA led by the Director General Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu,the Minister described the NOA as the most grassroot oriented agency playing vital roles in shaping Nigeria direction.
The Minister of Information who called the agency a trailblazer,gave this commendation today in Abuja ,at opening ceremony of Extended Management Retreat 2024, themed”Strategic Repositioning of National Orientation Agency”
Alhaji Mohammed Idris also commended the founding fathers and past Director General of the agency,he said” with the NOA,the journey of transformation has began”.
The management retreat is organized by NOA for all the 37 state Directors of the agency including relevant stakeholders.
In his welcome address, NOA DG,Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu said the Extended Management Retreat, aimed to strategise and enhance the agency capabilities through a shared vision, to deliver on its dual mandate of communicating government policies, programmes, and projects and lead Nigeria’s quest for a common national identity through value orientation.
He said “Over the past ten months, we have diligently revamped NOA’s structures and platforms. This was a crucial step in revitalising our personnel and tools, which had been adversely affected by years of government neglect. It’s disheartening that such a vital institution was allowed to languish, but we are now on the path to rejuvenation, filling us all with hope and positivity.
“NOA is undergoing a significant restructuring and demonstrating its adaptability to the changing population landscape. Nigeria had a more balanced demographic during the MAMSER era. However, in the last three decades, the Nigerian demographics have shifted dramatically, with youths 45 years and below constituting 93% of the country’s population. This profound shift has not gone unnoticed by NOA, and we are actively adjusting our strategies to effectively engage this new majority.
Not only are the youths in the dominant majority now, but they are also in control of the new media. The new channels of engagement and networking come with a new level of empowerment and control that did not exist in 1991, MAMSER. No YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Linkedln, or other communication vehicles existed when MAMSER reigned. Communication was linear, distinguishing between those who generate and disseminate content and those who receive it. Not even the now-popular radio phone-in was in existence. The ownership structure was clear-cut. Publishers and proprietors of the media were distinct, with government media more dominant, especially in the broadcast sector. Today, not anymore. Anyone can be a player in content generation and deployment, giving the youth and the public a voice and a platform to be heard.
Issa-Onilu therefore stated that challenge for an agency like NOA came with the new, almost unfettered citizens’ access and control. He said the era when MAMSER staff could go around the communities with public address systems mounted on their vehicles appeared now ancient.
“The media landscape is different. The audiences’ tastes are diverse. The communication tools are innumerable. It is a paradigm shift. The beats have changed; the dancing steps are out of tune unless they adjust to the new rhythms.
Considering the new realities, NOA has been proactive in the last ten months, embarking on massive retooling and building on the foundation the past DirectorGenerals laid. We understand the need for modern platforms that can assist us in interacting with Nigerians. Towards realising this need, on Wednesday, March 20, the Hon. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, launched the NOA mobile app, Mobiliser, in Kano. The Mobiliser has many crucial features for engaging with Nigerians, particularly the Nigerian youths. The Mobiliser app, available for download on both the Play Store and Apple Store, has also strengthened our ability to deliver on our mandate to generate citizens’ feedback for the government.
“The new NOA television and radio studios are also ready. The studios will enhance our capacity to produce news, features, analysis, and sectoral programmes on government policies. The Explainer newsletter is another engagement platform that NOA has implemented in the last four months
Taking advantage of our presence in every corner of the country, we have built enormous data resources. For instance, we have the contact details of thousands of chairpersons and secretaries of trade, artisanal, community development organisations, and civil societies in all the local government areas, through whom we are reaching their numerous members, such as the yam sellers, onion sellers, farmers, barbers, tailors, electricians, auto mechanics, carpenter, okada riders, vulcanisers, etc.). We are soon to commence the deployment of strategic audiovisual materials on government policies and programmes targeting millions of members of these associations in different languages.
But we are even further ahead in applying modern technologies to enhance our work. On July 1, we launched NOA’s Artificial Intelligence Voice and Chat Assistant, CLHEEAN. CLHEEAN is an innovative solution to the challenges posed by the new media landscape. It is an acronym for NOAs thematic activities on Crime, Lawlessness, Health, Education, Environment, Abuse, and Nationalism. It encapsulates NOAI s commitment to tackling various issues that would clean Nigeria of societal and behavioural ills. Beyond this, CLHEEAN is an alter ego of the ideal Nigerian who will be with us to help understand NOA’s activities, what our government is doing, and how we can get involved. We believe that by providing this platform for engagement, we are not just informing but also valuing the input and participation of every Nigerian.
Nigerians can engage and interact with CLHEEAN. CLHEEAN can answer questions about government policies, programmes, and projects and provide information about citizens’ rights and responsibilities. CLHEEAN is on your mobile devices and computers to meet your information needs. CLHEEAN is an ideal citizen and soon-to-be-launched Superhero who will demonstrate what it is like to be a real Nigerian.
So, we have done audience analyses, identified the media habits of each segment, and developed the media vehicles to deliver government messages. Our actions are based on a comprehensive communication audit to ensure effective and accountable communication.
He also maintained that NOA has robust systems to support President Bola Ahmed Tnubuis administration in delivering the Renewed Hope agenda and mobilising Nigerians to support the National Identity Project (NIP).
“In line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we have instituted a profound value orientation policy. The National Identity Project (NIP), a springboard for our country’s socioeconomic and political transformation, has been implemented. NIP embodies the National Values Charter (NVC), with its twin components of The Nigerian Promise and the Citizen Codes, the “7 for 7” reciprocal commitments of the country and the citizens. We have also developed seven socialisation processes.
The need for a national value system that clearly defines a Nigerian’s personality speaks to the psychological needs of the citizens, who must be emotionally connected to the country This is what the National Values Charter seeks to achieve. Actual development cannot occur unless the citizens have a shared positive sentiment, and there cannot be a shared positive sentiment unless the country motivates the citizens’ beliefs and patriotism.
There are two significant differentiators between past and present endeavours. Firstly, the commitment is now a collaborative venture. Unlike in the past, when the country placed the burden solely on the citizens, this time, it is a shared responsibility between our nation and its citizens. Secondly, the current effort is not a fleeting government policy. It is meticulously designed with institutional structures for a lasting implementation, a testament to our collective dedication. At NOA, we have meticulously crafted seven value orientation programmes, each with a specific focus and purpose. This year, we are set to deploy four of these impactful programmes.
We are excited about what is coming. NOA’s enormous infrastructure across the country is being revived for optimal performance. Our focus in all of these is to institute a direct line of communication between the government and the citizens. NOA recognises the need to bridge the gap and establish an open dialogue with the public. Through some initiatives the NOA has recently taken, we seek to foster an interactive approach, allowing citizens to voice their concerns, provide feedback, and create parameters to hold both the leadership and the citizens
I want to especially recognise the tremendous efforts of the past Director Generals of NOA, without which our modest achievements would have been impossible. On behalf of our country and the agency you all led with dedication and passion, I thank you most sincerely for your services. We are grateful.
Once again, I welcome our directors and deputy directors to this critical retreat. In the next three days, I urge you to learn and teach as much as possible, but please remember to socialise, make new friends and strengthen the bond of the NOA family”NOA DG concluded.
There were goodwill messages from Chief Executives of FRCN, NAN, Press Council, VON, ARCON, NBC, and NTA, Former NOA Director Generals; Prof. Jerry Gana, Chief Tommie Iredia, Alhaji Idi Faruk,Mr. Mike Omeri, and Alhaji Garba Abari, the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Orientation, Senator Eze Kenneth.
