The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called on Nigerians to adopt a more positive outlook towards the country, stressing that a change in mindset is crucial for building a better society.
Director-General of the Agency, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, made this appeal during a press conference in Umuahia, Abia State. Represented by Mrs. Theresa Maduekwe, he explained that the agency is intensifying its activities in five key areas — sensitizing the public on government policies and programmes, promoting disaster preparedness, boosting national security awareness, driving value reorientation among youths, and strengthening the Nigerian identity through national symbols.
According to Issa-Onilu, the most important of these mandates remains the responsibility of enlightening citizens about government policies and programmes. He revealed that the agency has upgraded its communication platforms to reach wider audiences, including the launch of an artificial intelligence assistant called CLHEEAN, designed to tackle social ills such as crime, lawlessness, poor health practices, lapses in education, environmental abuse, and weak nationalism.
“These are the issues affecting our society today, and CLHEEAN is one of the tools we are deploying to address them,” he said.
The NOA boss further disclosed that in the coming weeks, the agency will embark on direct community engagement across all 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government areas. This initiative, he explained, will allow Nigerians to interact freely with the government, ask questions, and receive clarity on policies such as NELFUND, the Social Safety Net expansion, Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund, the National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
Issa-Onilu added that the agency aims to reach at least three million Nigerians in each state through market sensitizations, town hall meetings, advocacy visits, rallies, road shows, and collaborations with traditional and religious leaders.
Also speaking at the event, the South-East Zonal Director of NOA, Mrs. Regina Iroha, emphasized the need for collective effort to tackle the challenges facing the nation. The leader of Progressive Abia Youths, Daberechi Kingsley Ekejiuba, urged the government to ensure young people are fully included in the sensitization drives.
On his part, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Chidi Asonye, pledged that journalists in Abia would provide accurate reporting and support NOA’s initiatives by amplifying its message to the public.
